


Within Your Soul

by MarksmanKNG



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-10-06 07:30:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 35,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20503184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarksmanKNG/pseuds/MarksmanKNG
Summary: Gran continues the journey to find his father in Estalucia. He encountered many challenges and succeeded. This time, it's far more complicated when he meets someone unexpected. Himself.





	1. Doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gran suffers a debilitating blow to his psyche mid battle. He endures the guilt to later meet someone unexpected.

_ **CHAPTER 1: Doubt** _

* * *

Things were never easy. Gran leapt back, skidding across soil as sparks fly. Metal against metal. Blade to blade, sparking conflict between man and machine. Echoes screamed of battle. Dirt erupted as a heavy overhand blow struck the ground, bursting a cloud of dust.

Gran bit his lip. This golem was more trouble than its worth. Twice his size, its large halberd gave a long reach. Bronze sheen of its skin made it to be rather new. What kind of golems are these to be so difficult?

Rackam and Eugen were busy providing cover fire for Heles and Io. Rosetta drew upon a cage of thorns, lashing out at moments of opportunity. Lyria and Vryn was providing support further back given by the tingling rings of Yggdrasil.

"Here it comes." Katalina's yell over his shoulder. She had been holding back the worst of the golem with deft strikes, impeccable deflections and dodge those she cannot.

Twisting the sword in his grip, Gran charged forward to strike. He's smaller, faster. Slip through its openings and stab right through the core. Just like any other golem. Dodging past the weapon diving from above, he closed the gap and stabbed. His sword glanced off the side of thick armour. _Tough as a rock._

Skidding under thick blocky legs, he rose to spun for a stab in the golem's back when he heard. "Watch out!"

Gran felt the cut of wind before raising his sword. Heavy blow tossed him like a doll. Slamming against the ground blew the wind out of his chest and into a coughing fit.

Get up. He had to get up. Rolling over his back, he saw Katalina stabbed at the golem's arm before throwing a trio of ice swords. Ice magic speared against the skin before shattering, cutting rents into the shoulders. The golem's response was to spin. Heavy metal cut the air, slamming into Katalina's sword, skidding her across the ground. Far out of reach.

Golem followed up with another heavy swing. Right at him.

Shoot. _Can't dodge it!_ Gran raised the sword to shield himself. Pain burst as the flat end of his sword was crushing against his chest. Red burn blossomed as he felt blood climbing up his throat. The golem raised again. A second blow would kill him there and then.

Black shadowed before a ring of metal that buzzed into his ears. Gran pried his weapon aside to see a white knight in shining armour.

"Are you alright?" Naoise yelled from behind his enormous shield. A powerful cry from his lips before forcing the halberd back. "Now."

A second shadow followed up from behind. "Right here!" Seruel darted past, swinging his blade into a dance of sharp stabs and strikes along the knee joints. Metal shattered as the golem lost balance and fell onto its back.

"You're finished." The Dragon Knight of Irestill thrust his spear through the core. The golem stuttered before shutting down permanently. Naoise turned towards Gran, his size towering in dark shadow. "Are you alright, captain?"

"I…" Gran couldn't finish his sentence before another war cry. Naoise nodded before the two warriors sprinted forward to help their Princess.

"Gran. You alright?" Katalina sprinted over and offered a hand. He grabbed on and felt his stomach burn. In a second he was on his feet. Most of the damage had been taken by his armour but barring that, he's in a decent shape. The blood was getting a way and he nodded to give a quick answer. She nodded in return before sprinting back to battle.

He spat red aside before touching against the burning ribs. So close to death.

_Again. You've grown weak._

Gran squeezed his fist, trying to force out the voice in his head. How could he have failed? Especially that badly. _Not now._ He can still fight. Wielding his blade, he returned to battle. Though his pride had already shattered.

* * *

"Thanks for the support. You guys are a lifesaver on this one." Rackam flicked a casual salute at his fellow crew members. Grandcypher was docked on the next pier within the port of Golonzo.

Seruel pressed a hand to his chest. "We are honoured. It is only right to help those that have helped so much." The erune turned towards the ship. "A regret for us that we have to return to Alster for some time."

Rackam chuckled before adding. "Sure, some royalty work. Always busy as ever." A chuckle from the prince.

Heles strapped the spear onto her back. "Worry not. We'll return to this adventure soon. I can trust on Naoise to help on the many tasks at hand. Perhaps I should've just sent him to represent all of us."

"Yes, my princess."

A sigh. "That was just a joke."

"I ask for forgiveness." The knight lowered his head. The princess just shook her head and started for the ship. Seruel assured with a pat on the back.

Lyria waved as the other group turned for their ship back home. "Have a safe trip."

Rackam turned for the ship. "So Lyria, who's supposed to join us again later?" That prompted the girl to ruffle a piece of parchment.

"Eh…" That deep focus of hers was cute. In an amusing manner that is. "Albert and the sisters were supposed to be arriving today. They didn't say whether it'll be noon or evening."

"Oh, they will bring shocking times. Well, we still got some time for R&R. That quest for Siero got my beat." The Grandcypher was in sight beyond the crowd of traders and passengers. Walking up the ramp onto the ship's side, nostalgia and pride filled his chest to the brim. The ship had endured a lot. Though given how things are going, it'll probably push the ship into tougher challenges. _Well, I'll just have to make up for it with extra oil maybe._

Reaching atop the deck, Lyria was greeted with Vyrn and Katalina. Rackam noticed something odd. Or rather someone missing. A glance found the captain sitting by the side. An absentminded stare at his sword. Shiny enough to see his own face at it. He stepped up to the boy and gave a pat on the shoulder. "What's up? You look rather down for a job well done."

"It's nothing." Gran sheathed the sword. "I'll be inside."

Vryn floated over. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Beats me. Sounds like trouble but it's probably nothing." Gran always pulls through anything even when he's a kid. _He'll be quite a skyfarer when he's finally an adult._

"Special senses? Maybe it is sign you're getting old after all."

That struck a chord. "Shut it you lizard."

"I ain't a lizard!"

* * *

Dinner was great as always. Elmelaura and the Lowain brothers kept meals fresh, tasty with great variety. There was never anything to ask for.

Lyria enjoyed the moment to the fullest. Elta and Selfira were creating a beautiful ballad of music. Gayne and Anthuria fired it up with fiery moves that lit emotions as dinner proceeded. Dinner was always the best moment to bond together with the crew. So many had joined them on their adventure, it was nice. The crew was one big happy family.

However, Gran felt himself the outlier. He hadn't touched his food for a while. His dark eyes were empty. Without any enthusiasm that he always carried. Like he was fighting against something. And losing.

Watching Gran made her remember. The horrible experiments. Before Katalina took her away to happiness. Seeing anyone else like that was painful. She asked. "Gran, are you feeling sick?" He raised his eyes to meet hers. A shake of the head before grabbing a bite of meat and forcing it into his mouth.

"What's with the down look Captain? Need help on anything?" Eugen gave a slight jab to his ribs and whispers. "Anything especially about the ladies?" That brought a red blush from Gran but little else.

That bode bad ill from Lyria. "Mou, Eugen. You shouldn't be teasing Gran like that."

"Sorry. It's nothing." Gran stood up with his plate. "I'll be in my room." He walked towards the back to the kitchen. His exit wasn't noticed as laughter rose from Charlotta's group trying to placate Lamretta from trying to drink the entire barrel.

Despite the joyous mood, Lyria felt disturbed. Gran acting this way wasn't right. Their bond was strong but it couldn't pass emotions amongst each other. It was up to Lyria to fix this. A nod of determination to set him straight.

She stood up when Eugen waved a hand. "Leave him be." He caught her intentions.

Lyria felt more determined from it. "But something's wrong with Gran and I want to fix it."

"Not wrong with that. Sometimes though, a man needs his own time to sort his trouble." That rising spirit soothed, a little. "It's clear he doesn't want to talk about it. Not worth forcing the issue for now." Eugen grabbed a glass of wine and sipped.

Vryn plopped onto the table. "Maybe he can have some apples. Apples make anything become good."

"That's Vyrn for you." Eugen chuckled to the lizard tilting its head. "Well, you know him the longest. Ever seen something like this before?" Little Vryn shook its head. "That's going to be quite a pinch. At least we know it related to the quest."

"Lyria, something wrong?" Katalina joined the table with her dinner. Lyria explained what happened that led to the knight humming. "Maybe he's tired. That golem did take a hard swing on him."

Eugen pointed a finger at the blue knight. "You're totally going on another tangent there. Besides, a hard hit wouldn't take Gran down to that extent. He's taken worse." That reminded her of the guilt of bonding her life force with Gran. Eugen balked before saying. "Sorry, forgot about that."

Katalina tapped at her spoon. "Continuing the topic, I can't think of a reason for his behaviour. If Vryn wouldn't know it, I doubt the rest of us would."

"Wait and see then. Gran's our Captain. Have faith in him. If anything goes, leave it to us guys to sort it out." They all agreed before applauses rocked out any chance of conversation.

* * *

Gran closed the door, casting him into the dark. Without a bother about the lamp on the table, he turned around and plopped onto the bed. Every fibre of energy inside him faded out. A sigh as he stared at the abyss of nothingness. Soft echoes of the joyous mood from the galley made him close his eyes, trying to shut away the cold feeling in his gut. The sore throb from his injury failed to pull it away.

_What am I doing?_

He wasn't handling the situation right. It wasn't the way a captain should be acting. Straight forward to just learn the lesson and move on. Yet the burn throbbed inside his chest. Why is it this way? Not what was supposed to be. Having grown stronger to take on challenges such as the Akasha, the defeat felt like travesty. _Maybe I should talk about it to someone. _Who would be the best choice for such a need? The crew was large with dozens of members. Who should he take this matter up to? Can he trust them? _What am I saying? Of course, I can trust all of them. _They've fought and shared blood and sweat together on this adventure. On his journey towards Estalucia.

Where Dad was waiting for him.

Granted, only a few would be best suited to this predicament. One of the wiser ones like Yodarha or Scathacha. Or someone more experienced in healing arts like Lily. Maybe Narmaya with her sword prowess would know more. So many choices and just one Gran to decide. He flicked between a few choices before everything drifted dark.

Gran awoke to a familiar place. An open plane of white fog. Silent echoes that rumbled into his ears. _Ah,_ _I fell asleep._ He realised what it was. Another dream but not like any other. He waited for whatever wants to talk to him will appear in time. The biggest question was who and why.

Time passed. Tick, tock. Seconds continue to count. Nothing moved within the fog that twirled in constant soft gust of wind. Gran started to pace around, feeling the silk touches of the white shroud. Strange. It was never this long.

Soft ring of metal. Footsteps. Greaves clinked against the rocky floor in some direction. Gran turned around, trying to find the source. Turned out it was right before him as he saw a silhouette through the fog. Each step closer towards him. Who would it be this time? The fog parted and all his senses froze. The reveal was the greatest shock ever seen thus far.

Dressed in a single white dress with bright finery. Jewel ornament at the chest and a strange flower petal nested atop his head. Surprise punched him hard in the face. _Is… that me?_

It looked just like him. Wait. Slightly older and taller. His eyes carried something greater than him. A gaze of pride and confidence.

The man stopped before him. Gran didn't know what to do. What would anyone do when they meet their own alter ego? Should he just say hi and see what happens? Strange things have happened but this, this was new.

Gran tried to speak but his own voice wouldn't emerge. That's when it happened. A weak buzz in his head. The ringing that gnawed at his mind with growing strength. He tried to brush it aside but it continued to persist. He tried to speak but there was, just, no voice in him.

The other him looked down to meet his eyes. A shake of the head before whispering words that he couldn't hear. Trying to comprehend the way his own lips move throbbed the pain even more. Gran stretched his hand when a flash of light blinded him.

When the light cleared, it was dawn. Little slivers of light through the gaps of wooden planks. Everything was a blur. Rising up, he pressed a hand to his face. What was the message supposed to be?

A warm feeling inside his chest. Tiny flame that wanted to burst free, only held by invisible chains. Strength that he craved for. He went out the door. For the key lies in the adventure.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: First and foremost, thanks for reading Within your Soul. This is a side story grade kind of material for Granblue Fantasy. Something I came up with when I was messing around with the premise of how the ingame raid system works. Fooling around kind of thing maybe? I don't know and given the size and scale of the characters and lore in this setup, there's a lot to play with and hopefully as a whole I manage to deliver at leasts something worth a read. I hope you enjoy this story and have a good day.


	2. Strength

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gran remains elusive to the man's words while he continues to find the meaning of strength. His resolve later was to be vindicated in mortal combat.

_ **CHAPTER 2: Strength** _

* * *

Wind brushed against Lyria's hair as Grandcypher soared through the sky. She had been chatting with Sen and Lady Grey along the starboard side of the ship. Gran shielded his eyes from the sun as he squinted at the tiny island in the distance.

Port Breeze. It'll be another two hours before they arrive to meet Sierokarte to hand in the quest. Rackam was leaning against the wheel with a grin on his face. A good sign of winds to be. Meanwhile Tiamat was eager given the primal of Port Breeze soaring around the Grandcypher. The rest of the crew were in the lower decks, probably preparing for their trips for supplies and necessities.

Gran hopped off the railing and sauntered back into the lower deck. Today he wanted to ask around a few people on the other ways to be strong. The blistering warmth in his chest refused to dwindle, egging him to find that sole answer. The question had taken him across the ship and things didn't go the way he expected.

Upon asking the question, what he got is a myriad of answers. Some were rather shy about their high ability. Dante spoke of strength as having freedom. Clarisse's definition of strength was rather…unconventional. Best he didn't press further on it, lest he be blown up like Rackam.

Granted their answers were also right but it wasn't the one he was looking for. Something was missing, that didn't click within his thoughts. The dream had said something but he couldn't fathom the voiceless words. He choked the dark thoughts that started to hover over his shoulder.

A sigh before he returned back to the top deck. There was more to the crew and he'll be able to ask the Knights for inspiration once they were done cleaning one of the untouched storerooms. Their valour and honour should ring well with him.

For now, the remaining group at the moment was the Manly Trio at the bow of the ship. Sweat glistening off their skin. Large contracting muscles in an intense moment. Eugen and Soriz working off their bodies with hand stand push ups. Jin sitting in meditation, sweat chalking along his face. Odd.

Gran waved as Soriz made push ups at a rate that looked outright scary. "Hey, got a moment?"

"Sure thing Captain!" Soriz pushed off the floor and onto to his feet. "What do you need Captain?"

"I've been meaning to ask." Gran rubbed the back of ish head. "How did you guys become strong?"

Bewildered silence as they glanced at each other. "Strong? Strange question."

Eugen landed onto his feet. "Hmm. You're pretty strong yourself. Why are you worried about it?"

Gran scratched the side of his head. "It's been something I've been thinking about."

Soriz barked a boisterous laugh. "Aha, I know exactly why." A heavy pat on the boy's back. "It's about time your age anyway to start feeling that way. You've come to the right place." He gave a large wide grin. "So, who are you fancying?"

Red crept up Gran's face. "It's nothing like that."

Jin opened his eyes from meditation with a smile. "Don't worry Captain. whatever decisions you make, we'll support you all the way." Gran should be assured by it. He wasn't.

Gran shook his head. "I just wanted to be stronger than what I am now. I need to."

Silence. A heavy pat on Gran's shoulder. "Well then, we'll help you out the best way we can. That is-"

On cue, the trio tightened their abs and arms. "The way of muscle!"

Gran had to shield his eyes from the gleaming bright light. Granted, it was a known fact. Better muscle lead to more strength. It felt hollow to the flame inside. Though there weren't other alternatives. He gave a nod at the group of flexing shine. "It's worth a shot."

"Good. Good." Another heavy pat that rattled his bones. Soriz dropped onto the deck, back into his handstand position. "Let's get to it then! Three hundred push ups for starters!" A cheer from the other two muscle men as they joined along.

Gran balked at the impending burn. A glance over his shoulder towards Lyria which just prompted a cheerful hand wave. What had he roped himself into?

* * *

"This is delicious." Lyria squealed from biting into the sweet blessings of peach and tangerine.

"I agree." Katalina added before diving deeper into her plate. "The sweetness is so rich and the flavour's so exquisite and blends perfectly in. Adding to the deep roast from the earlier venison made the distinction even greater."

Vane gave a cheerful smile as he pulled free the straps to his apron. "These are a new recipe that I've been working on. Glad that it's good to your taste." The mess room for Grandcypher was quiet, most of the crew doing their own thing. In the background were the Lowain brothers, working out their grooves on something.

Vryn munched on an apple on a chair. "It's wonderful. Maybe you can add some apples to it and it'd be even better."

Lyria was eating the entire three course menu. So clean that not even a stain could be seen. Katalina turned to Vane. "I'd love it if you can teach me how to cook this sometime."

Vane cracked a shy smile. "Sure…" He noticed Lancelot's wide ire towards him. One of Lancey's rarely used expressions, used truly in moments of extreme dire. He then caught another set of worried faces further down the kitchen. The trio were waving vigorous beyond their cool. Vane decided to change the topic. "I'll find some time for that. Where's Gran? It's been hard to catch him."

"Gran's been busy the past few days." Vryn explained. "He's been everywhere across the ship and hanging out with the rest of the crew." The little dragon spun around in a laugh. "The way he's been working out with the muscle trio in the morning, working on crafting works and would you even believe it, he's even trying to learn magic!"

"Aha, I've noticed he'd been working on his swordsmanship at dawn. He's dedicated to his training," Lancelot said.

Katalina said. "It feels very strange seeing him this way. To the point it's excessive. It's reminding me of that small turnaround from Soriz that other time." She added a sigh. "I wish that man had turned for good but old habits, especially old men die hard."

A chuckle from the knights. Lancelot gave a smile. "Well, I'm sure the Captain will be just fine."

Lyria stood up, her face gripe with determination. "Don't worry. I'll keep a good watch over him."

Vane gave a cheeky grin. "Just don't catch him in the wrong moments." That prompted a few laughs before the red beet faced girl sunk into her chair. "Granted, Gran is still young and probably is trying to become the man he envisioned to be. Let's support him all the way to it."

Katalina raised her goblet of juice. "Perhaps you're right. Shall we celebrate his upcoming growth with a toast?"

Lancelot raised his own before being met with the others. "A toast to our great Captain."

* * *

Valtz Duchy, the island that's always too darn hot. Red lava pouring along the sides of the large mountain in the centre of the island.

Io was walking around in jovial carefree manner whilst the rest wondered if they'd survive walking the next dozen steps. Gran was no exception to this, wiping sweat from his forehead. Cooling magic can do so much without killing you or ending up as a block of ice. He grunted through the heat, putting his mind to ignore the heat. The same quiet meditation Jin had taught to apply in times of focus.

They were here this time to help the local blacksmiths. Apparently, there was some new ores were discovered on the upper parts of the mountain. These were rare and in short supply. Said problem was that some monsters had taken residence in the path leading up to the areas available to it. The local guilds and skyfarers had trouble dislodging them and so Sierokarte offered the quest. Being a crew that's one of a kind, it was only expected for them to handle it. Moreover, he found it hard to refuse when Galadar and Almeida were very eager to experiment with the ores, part of the cut from the quest.

Grandcypher arrived by morning. The rest of the crew took care of supplies and the ship as they sauntered off towards the centre. Gran looked further up towards the mountain. Galadar and Almeida had the lead, trudging up familiar paths to them.

All was quiet for most part as they reached towards the base of the mountain. Afternoon blistered hotter as the higher they go, the more lava spouted from the rocks. Rackam sighed as he tried to wave affectionate cool air around him. "Someone take the heat off already."

Rosetta looked cool despite the heat. "Hmm, wasn't there some folklore about these mountains? How they came to form on Valtz in its early days of conception."

Io hummed before answering. "I didn't hear anything about that before."

Galadar huffed, hefting heavy plate of armour without a sweat. "That's the kind of story we blacksmiths have. A long time ago, when the island was formed, an astral came to rest on the island. He seen the grand potential in the island and made it into his home, changing the place into what it is today."

"Does that mean there was time of peace before the war?"

Galadar shrugged. "Don't know. Folklore are what they are, lore." He raised a hand. "I think this is the place." The line caught up to him and they peered down the mouth of a large cave.

Gran couldn't see through the dark abyss as Almeida pointed at the warning sign. "Yup, this should be the place. Let's get going and get rid of that monster. I really want to see how that ore would work with the alloy combination I had in mind."

Galadar barked a laugh as Gran drew his sword. "Don't get off your high horses. We'll go when our Captain gives the order."

Gran felt the familiar weight and flexed his wrist. A nod before pointing into the mouth of adversity. "Onward."

* * *

The cave was far cooler than the air outside. Not by much but a huge relief for the crew not as adapted to the heat.

Lyria held a lamp as the rest walked through the narrow corridor. Wood words had been built to support the roof of the cave. Some parts had signs of mining.

"Vryn, I've been thinking. How did you meet Gran? I mean, Zinkensill isn't really a place for dragons unlike perhaps Valtz Duchy but even then, they are rare."

The little dragon turned around to Almeida, a smug look on its face. "Just to let you know, it's a long story. Giving this tale would be something like an -" Vyrn was interrupted when Rackam pressed a finger against Vryn's snout.

"Right right, now's not the time for this. I hear something." That prompted silence as they exited the trail towards a large cavern. Gran saw a depression leading down to an open field.

A brown golem sitting in the centre of the cavern. Large glazes of blue rocks dotted the cavern walls, giving the room a soft hue of light. Katalina scrutinised at the idle golem. "It doesn't look that strong."

Gran felt an invisible bullet struck his heart. It looked too similar. _Task at hand._

"Let's take it by surprise." Rackam levered his weapon at the golem, standing ready for the signal. Io pressed her staff against the floor, channelling magic.

Gran spotted wooden stairs to the right. He caught Katalina's attention and pointed towards it. She returned the nod and they sneaked down the stairs.

No response from the living rock. Rosetta stood on the top of the depression; sharp gaze akin to thorns. Galadar and Almeida readied their monstrous bulky weapons. The Hammer was twice Almedia's size. Galadar's was bulky that'd shatter anything on a single hit, added with the heavy shield that'd protect everything behind. Both weapons, however great were truly inadequate for a sneak attack.

Thirty metres away. Four seconds to get close enough. Gran turned to Rackam and nodded. Rackam gestured the cue with a free hand.

_Three._

Gran bent his knees, leaning forward.

_Two._

Hand squeezed tight around the hilt.

_One._

Gran sprung like the wind. A roar before fire sparked along the golem skin. Bolts of ice slammed onto the shoulders and back before rose thorns followed up, wrapping around the body and spiking into its rocky flesh. Groan of hard rock, the glowing yellow eye turned red ruby.

Katalina swung at its kneecap alongside Gran. A hard hit as it swung around, arms wide. Katalina leapt atop its hand and struck her favourite triplex of blows. Deft feet shot away, spinning slash along its back.

Gran skidded under before twisting around and closed in. A good slash across the chest. Golem turned around, red ruby flashing bright like a devil. He stepped back as dust skidded to his right. Two shadows cast overhead before Galadar and Almeida crashed atop. Their massive weapons ringing the entire cave.

_Stunned_! Gran capitalised the chance, throwing a myriad of strikes and attacks. Each swipe of the sword chipped off the bulky armour, forging cracks along its skin. Katalina twisted her sword, blue magic swords standing ready. "Frost Blade!" The trio stabbed into the back as the two blacksmiths leapt off. Another explosion rocked off its back, splitting off more rock. Another gunshot, freezing the golem's midstride.

The red glow of rage faded before the mass of rock collapsed onto its side, back split open. There in lie the shattered core. Gran gave a sigh of relief at the defeated machinima.

Galadar tapped his hammer against the golem's shell. "That wasn't that tough after all. Far manageable by the local guilds. What's the hold up with this thing?"

"We're pretty darn strong, that's why." Rackam slung the gun over his shoulder. "Alright, let's pack it up and get out of this-"

Dust enveloped Gran before collapsing rocks echoed in the cave. He covered his mouth but it failed preventing a coughing fit. Eventually the sound of splintering rocks faded.

Gran scanned through the murky cloud of granite. What the hell was that? "Everyone alright?" Gran yelled as the dust began to settle. Everyone accounted for, he turned towards the big hole from the opposite wall.

Blood froze as he stared into large blue eyes. Dragon. Five heads. Heartbeat jumped to his throat. _How. How is it here?!_

A low growl beneath the large teeth. Sharp lethal claws that ripped him apart once. In all essence, they were one and the same.

The very type of hydra that killed him.

Rackam's words were soft echoes compared to the thundering heartbeat in his head. "Oh." The shadow towered over them, squeezing deeper into his chest. "This is bad."

The hydra roared, all five heads in a chorus. Gran felt the ground shaking before losing his footing. Dropping onto his knees, the world turned a gray blur. The shaking stopped, granting Gran a chance to breathe.

Gran lifted his head towards the dragon. Its eyes narrowed directly at him. Cold spear stabbed through his chest. _Such killing intent._ Everything was frigid ice. Short breaths. Why can't he stop his hands from shaking?

Almeida whipped around towards him, her eyes widest he ever seen. "We… can take him on, right?"

Gran clamped down his teeth, forcing down the rising bile in his throat. "Yeah, that's just the warm up. Let's beat this one to a pulp!" Fastest way to killing this thing was bringing major firepower. Gran turned towards Lyria when Rosetta interjected. "Bahamut's too dangerous! It might bring down the entire cave!" She's too right.

Galadar raised his shield as the dragon reared its main head, given by the larger carapace along the ridges of its snout and eyes. Huge jaw extends out, snapping onto the massive shield with a ring. "Then we will have to do it the hard way."

Katalina spun, slashing at another head swinging around to the side. "Be careful of the others!" The second head hissed before the third head lunged again. Rackam's shot caught its attention, drawing more ire towards him. Gran caught the fourth as Almeida; the fifth.

Gran backed away as all the heads reared away from distance. Yeah, they can do this! Compared to the beginning, this time there's enough of them to work things out. Ice spikes peppered the hydra, raising a screech of pain. Gunshots peppered along the necks. Brown roots sprouted from the ground, holding down the right head.

"Nice Rosie!" Almeida lunged forward, swinging her hammer straight into the gut. Rumble of flesh and screeching roar. Galadar followed up before Katalina and Gran double teamed the same point, shredding through hardened scales. Screeches before claws swiped Galadar and Almeida away.

Katalina stepped through the gap, drawing sharp slices and stabs through the weakening point. Large chunks of scales pried off before the next paw slammed onto the ground, forcing her back.

Another swipe of the claws forced Gran to dodge before another head pulled back and jolted forward. Orange fire shot forward and…overhead?

Gran looked over his shoulder and felt black pit in his gut. "Get away!" Red fire struck on target, shattering ground alongside feminine screams. The three ladies fell, rolling along the ground with hard thuds. "Lyria!" Gran yelled. He sprinted towards them and checked for injuries. "Are you alright?"

Lyria coughed away as she tried to stand. Gran reached out as Vryn dropped down to their level. "That was way too close!" Io and Rosetta were struggling to get onto their feet, taking the brunt of the attack. Rackam continued to run along the side, firing away.

Gran grabbed onto Lyria's hand. He had to get them away from the fight. Gran turned over his shoulder. "Galadar!"

"Watch out!" Galadar yelled. Gran looked above to see the hydra rearing its head again. Fireball. Right at them.

Another one. His sword couldn't block that. Not even with magic. That meant death. A second time.

No. That wasn't the most frightening thing.

_Lyria, Io, Rosetta._ They were his charge. Crew, close friends. If he died, it'd be the end of it. But them, he had to protect them! Could he shield them enough from the worst of it?

Orange started to belch forward. No, it's far too big. Black flash of light reached out to his chest, squeezed his heart clean and filled it with grim.

Lyria was at the greatest risk. Why? Why didn't he had the strength to protect her? After sacrificing a part of her life to him, was this how he repaid her? To die in a fiery death? After all this time, why did he remain so weak? He felt so empowered the few days before. Now this, this had to happen.

The black fog was so choking when sharp pain stabbed into his mind.

_The words!_

Flash of light. A mouth forming the words. His very own lips. What were they saying?

Fire streaked in a menacing creep. Growing wall of death, easily capturing him whole. Sharp screams behind him. To hell with tall that.

He couldn't lose. His father was waiting for him. The rest of the crew depended on him. Lyria carried his life just as he carried hers. No matter what, he had protect Lyria. No matter what!

The words. They were meant for this very moment. In the direst of times where true strength will unfold! An echo, warm that blossomed inside his chest. A loud rumble of the gong, burning the blooming summer into fiery twilight. The words were his to begin with. And they were now his to use.

_Reach deep inside your mind. Reach deep into your soul. Believe in one's self and in turn…_

_Be one of us._

Gran finished turning, stretched his hand forward and screamed.

"SOUL SYNC!"


	3. Unknown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gran grasped at the innate power. He found the paradigm to be stronger than ever. Ecstatic was the least of his feelings. The others though are worried and for good cause.

_ **CHAPTER 3: Unknown** _

* * *

Lyria felt the world turn topsy-turvy. The ground hurt as everything continued to spin. People yelling for her name as her head began to settle down. Then Gran's. She lifted her head to see fire heading right towards her. Gran was standing in between when he yelled.

"SOUL SYNC!"

The fire engulfed Gran. Hot waves of smoke bloomed, clouding her into a bout of painful coughs. Lyria felt the connection between her and Gran flicker before returning. Exploding into intense heat. Flaring far beyond anything ever felt before. Lyria squeezed at her chest from the sheer intensity. _So hot!_

The smoke cleared and she managed to see Gran. Gran was different. His clothing had changed. Blue garbs into shining silver armour. The armour gleamed, its brightness both painful and mesmerising to see. A big sword and shield in his hands. His eyes, they were much sharper. That smile of his brimming with confidence.

Gran lashed his sword at the hydra. "Holy Saber!" His sword flashed bright yellow, nearly blinding her eyes. The weapon felt…so warm_. _Lyria felt the energy syphoning towards him as he swung. The single blow rattled against the hard scales of hydrakind.

The hydra buckled; its head staggered from a large crack along its forehead. Gran stepped forward. Another roar, hurting Lyria's ears as it shook the cave. Gran was unfazed, his eyes strong and steadfast. Six heads attacked and Gran danced. Each attack was blocked or dodged aside with simple steps. In turn, he swung back, hitting hard scale. Lyria felt the rhythmic pulse with every swing, a crescendo of light from the sword. The long blade moved was so unique, different from Gran. Smoother, more precise and refined.

Each blow rang hard. Metal to scales. Lyria heard groans from her side through the growing agitations. She turned to her fellow friends. "Rosetta, Io, are you alright?"

Rosetta reached for her forehead, another groan in her lips. "Beyond a slight headache, I'll be fine. What happened?"

Almeida skidded across dust to reach them. "What the hell's that? Since when did Gran had such cool power?"

Lyria shook her head. "I don't know…" She felt the continuous drain from the bond between them. More power passing through than ever before.

The dragon reared a head back. Galadar raised his shield. "Uh oh, big one incoming! Brace!"

Gran raised his own shield and slammed into onto the ground. The silver piece unfolded, two parts expanding along the sides. Three points thrust into the ground, holding the bulky tool steady.

"PHALANX!"

Magic energy sparked, growing rumble in the ground beneath her. A blue wave blossomed and formed into a transparent wall. Flash of light before it hardened. Fire struck, spreading across the entire cave, surrounding them entirely. Lyria saw the hot fire coursing around the barrier but didn't feel any heat.

Watching Gran perform so many feats at once was beyond amazing. All she could say was one word.

"Wow…"

Gran grunted across the blaze, blood trickle down his cheek. Io raised her staff; healing magics in the works. "Thanks." Gran lifted his shield, dismissing the barrier. The hydra was angry, given by the glowing red orbs. Gran flicked his sword towards the hydra. A challenge between man and beast. The hydra roared as Gran stepped up to attack.

Almeida stepped up towards Lyria, her face was filled with awe. "Seriously, that's freaking awesome. I'm really eager to find out now!"

Lyria gave a nod as she continued to watch this Gran took the battle by storm.

* * *

Gran swung the sword, knocking out the fourth hydra head. With a flick, he blocked the next attack, turning it into a steady rhythm to deflect any attacks onto him or his fellow crew. The armour he wore was bulky but light. The sword he wielded was filled with light magic. The shield would block anything that seek to harm life. Gran felt jubilant joy rising in his blood. Strength. Power in his swings. The battlefield clear to his eyes. Every possible course for his enemy laid out in his thoughts.

Despite the bulking size of the armour, moving through it felt so innate that it belonged to him for years. Even stranger was the growing excitement of battle. A challenge to defeat the insurmountable and bring honour. Each blow that struck through fed to that hunger. A repeating cycle of cries and metal.

Each attack from the hydra read easy like a book. Defending with the shield, counter with his blade. Each strike renders a scream that grows louder. Furor of the Saber continue to gorge deep wounds.

Time was for an instant but the world remained far too slow for Gran. The hydra was battered, weakened. Multiple scales fragmented, blood oozing from various cuts. Without nothing else to show for, Gran felt the blooming confidence of success.

The hydra had no chance.

Gran leapt. His eyes level with the enemy. A cry of war as he slashed saber down along its snout. Blood ruptured, a decisive blow.

Said Hydra collapsed. The raging glare within the red eyes faded black before closing shut for good. Gran paused, staring at the fallen beast for any possible trickery it may conceal. Half a minute passed before he was satisfied. Gran sheathed the sword as the others move to join him. A warm feeling grew in his chest. Rare sensation that he hadn't feel. Pride. This, this is his victory.

Vryn was the first to speak. "Woah, that's so cool." The little dragon's eyes were wide and beaming with similar excitement.

Gran turned to Lyria and the other girls. "How do you ladies fare? That was quite a close call, hah."

Lyria nodded as Almeida interjected. "We're good but what the hell is that? Knight in shining armour and all that kind of shebang. You even sound funny."

Rosetta narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "I haven't seen such an ability before. Where did you manage to find it?"

The armour vanished, returning it to his cotton shirts and simple plate vest. Gran felt the passing moments of life flicker before settling back into a calm. "Honestly, I have no idea."

"Now that's totally more like you. Neat trick, I can tell you that."

"It's definitely a form of magic." Io surmised. "I felt the energy coursing through Lyria and Gran's connection. Very strong as well."

Gran rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, it felt a bit more tiring after doing that." A soothing feeling in his head, as though something was slipping through his thoughts and he couldn't decipher what were they. Silence befell within the mind before everything struck back. Pain, weary, shock. All at once.

Gran felt his knees hit dirt before the world faded to black.

* * *

Gran opened his eyes to see purple sky. Lethargy coursing underneath his skin. What was this world? He didn't recognise it when a familiar face dropped in above him. His own face.

"Hello there." His other self said. The older him was the same one he met the other time, dressed in the white striped robes.

Gran chuckled. This moment was strange. At least now he could hear him speak. He rose to his feet. "Thanks. For the words."

"That's something that's always within you. All of us that is," Robed Gran said. Gran could see more minute differences in his appearance. Tighter jawline, cropped hair and seasoned skin.

Gran had loads of questions to ask. "Who are you? Where are we? What was that? That transformation."

"Hold your horses there kiddo." Older Gran raised his hands and waved across his chest. "It's normal to have a lot of questions especially when you can see and talk to yourself, in a way that's not crazy. First, the easy stuff. I am you, at least a different you in some other time and place. As to where are we, it isn't that clear yet but hey, you've always been having dreams in other places, right?"

_Dreams in other places?_ Gran tried to comprehend it but drew a blank. "I don't understand."

His response made his other chuckle. "Most people wouldn't." The older Gran gave a pat onto his shoulder. "There's a lot of it that I don't know myself. All that I knew from the Doc was that its related to Akasha."

"Akasha…" Gran paused. The primal under Orchid's control. That would've sparked a lot of thought if weren't for the other Gran waving him off.

"Don't worry about it. You'll spin circles before burning off your head in steam. Just know about the ground rules first." The man raised a finger.

"Whenever you synced your soul to one of us, those abilities, memories, all of it are temporary. They aren't yours to begin with." Another finger. "Second, don't use it unless you need it. Don't ask me why. Doc was going on a long tangent about why but I couldn't understand anything, even with this older head of mine."

Gran felt his head being squeezed like a pickle. "There's more of you?"

Elder Gran smirked. A big wide one that just set to spite him. "More than you know. Third, don't die on us. It'd be a shame to Dad and the rest of the crew if you kicked the bucket early. Though we'd probably want to take turns in whooping your sorry butt first before you end up in Hell."

The sky started to fade white. Elder Gran turned around to gaze at it. "I ever missed seeing moments like that. Time's running short. We'll talk again soon."

Pink clouds began to grow around their feet. "How can I find you?"

A small smile. "You don't." The clouds shrouded everything before Gran woke to see a glowing lamp hanging on the ceiling. He blinked at the lamp, collecting his thoughts from the situation.

These days have been very strange. He raised his hand, squeezing and feeling familiar weary when he worn out his body too much. Most of it had faded, leaving it a little ache in his joints. Nothing that would stop him. _Oh._

Lyria was asleep at the bedside. Gran reached out to give a soft pat to her head and rub the silky strands of hair.

A moan from the sleeping girl. "No, I wasn't eating all that…" Gran chuckled at seeing such cute antics. He pulled away and tried to get out of the bed without waking her. He didn't succeed as Lyria jolted awake, springing upright. "Fuwah."

Gran, half in bed smiled. "Hi."

The door burst open with Beatrix lunging forward. Gran nearly toppled back onto the bed. "Captain! You're alive!"

Zeta sighed in the backdrop. "Bea, it's a given. He's unconscious, not dead."

"I know that." The brunette pouted in return before reaching for a pouch on her person. "Gran, I've made some porridge filled with herbs. They'll cheer you up and bring you back up in a jiffy."

Gran's gut feeling flared with a warning. His eyes glanced over towards Zeta, whom give a shrug. He grabbed the bowl and draw a spoonful of the white porridge filled with. He took a bite and felt as though his molars would melt away.

Sweet. Too darn sweet.

* * *

Rosetta bit her lip at the gnawing problem. Her five hundred years of experience had yet to connect the dots to what happened with Gran. More so for there was always a common saying that had yet to be broken. Great power always comes with a price.

She was a primal being. Born to wield great magics of nature alongside Yggdrasil. Greater strength was within reach but that would've let instincts consume most of her mind. She didn't want that to happen again, even when it was centuries ago. Many humans, primals and Astrals alike have strong abilities in unique ways. Though each had a concept that are relatable such as the tetra elements or magics. This felt jarring to the core.

A small group of experts sat clustered around a table in the small library. Arusha were fiddling around with several stacks of books on the table. Cagligostro and Sarunan were likewise in deep thought. Clarisse was poking a book's spine before being snapped to reality by the little thwack on the head from her teacher.

Almeida was tinkering with a few of her tools. Rackam leaned by the wall as he waited. He was agitated given by how many times he shifted postures. Rosetta asked the hard question. "Anything?"

"Nothing." Arusha placed another book on the growing stack by the side of the table. "I haven't seen any similar incident in the books I have at hand."

Sarunan shook his head. "I do not have anything spells, runes or magics that match the behaviours."

"Very strange phenomenon. One that nobody seems to know where or how it came from. I believe it would be great to experiment with our great Captain." Cagligostro waved her hand. Upon gazes from the rest of the crew, she gave a meek giggle.

"Anyhow, a feat such as that is dangerous, especially when the cost could be dire." Rosetta had seen enough cases of a skyfarer's magic overdoing it and causing immense injury, crippling them for life.

Rackam shrugged. "He did scream out a few words though I couldn't catch what they were from shooting and running. I think it was something that could be turned on or something"

Almeida closed her box of tools shut. "Still, what he did was totally cool. Swinging around that new sword of his so smooth, its like he had already mastered the weapon."

"Regardless, what we don't know about it can be a potential danger. It may not be our Captain in that form."

"That sounds totally crazy. It looks just like him."

"The old hag's right. It may look like Gran but it could be anything but. Spiritual or demonic possession had been rather common in the past times."

"Speaks the one that's older by milennia." Cagligostro humphed in return.

The petite girl grinned. "An ancient spell that can-do wonders like that sound fantastic on paper but what would it entail for the caster? I'm quite eager to find out."

"Out of the question. Gran doesn't have experience in magic casting despite his potential. The risk is too great."

"Then we could just teach him the basics." Cagligostro gave a grin. "Perhaps I could give him a personal one to one."

Rosetta noticed Clarisse's face turning dark at the thought. Arusha adjusted her glasses. "Maybe I can search for answers in the Archives. There could be something that relates to this."

Rosetta turned to Rackam. "When is our next port of call?"

Rackam shrugged. "Give or take a few days. It'll be a long trip to get back there, Arusha. It might be faster for us to go there directly."

"I can't impose on you all for this." The Erune said.

Amelia chuckled. "Don't worry. Gran's our Captain. We'll do anything for Gran when he needs our help. After all, he's always been the one doing the saving."

Cagligostro beamed. "Oh, how touching. I wish Gran was here to listen those sweet words."

The door clacked open. All conversation stopped to see Sophia. The healer addressed to the gathered crew. "The Captain's awake."

* * *

Gran rubbed his jaw, trying to banish the everlasting sweetness. It didn't work. Meanwhile Lyria was bringing him towards the galley for something to eat. For some reason, he was starving. The bowl of porridge in all its excess delight hadn't been enough to sate his grumbling stomach.

Loud noises rumble beyond the door as they approached. A rumbling lunch hour it must be when he entered the galley. The jubilant ambiance froze into cold silence. Nothing else beyond the little flutters of wind from Grandcypher's rotors above. Rows of eyes turned to stare into him. Like red needles poking at him. Gran had to admit that seeing so many of the crew in the galley at one time was both amazing and intimidating.

Ladiva rose, her large figure nearly toppling the entire long table. "Captain!" Several others rose in unison and scrambled towards him. Gran felt a tinge of fear at the sudden approach of a horde. That was before Ladiva's huge hug squeezed air out of his chest, throwing him into a purple heave.

"Can't…breathe." Gran squeaked through the monstrous woman's death grip. A slight reprieve of air before returning back into the crushing moment. His bones felt like breaking from Ladiva's love. Literally.

Soriz roared laughter as Gran was pried free from death. "That's our Captain alright to end up in a woman's bosom." That prompted a few glares over. He shrugged. "It's fact."

"What are you to think of it in such way, hmm?" Helnar quipped, joining the burly man observe the swarm atop Gran.

Soriz chuckled as he took his seat. "Man, I don't know to admire him or be jealous on how he's managed to rake the good graces of almost all the ladies on this ship."

Aoidos stepped off the stage towards them. "Alas, my performance appears to be unnecessary for today."

"Maybe you just need to work on your charms more. Gran's rather young but he's doing something right. Now I wish I could do the same." Helnar said.

Another chuckle from the guitarist. "A fiery sonata would do greater wonders for me than grasping the hearts of beautiful joys."

"Now you're overdoing it." Helnar filled his glass with strong liquor. "So many beauties on this ship and yet I've had the chance to revel in them yet."

"Right, right." The fiery man took a seat and poured himself a glass. "Perhaps we should celebrate our Captain's return, before he passes out again."

Soriz laughed and raised his glass. "Drink, for women and beauty is bliss." The trio clinked glasses as the commotion begun to settle down.

Gran felt firm grips on his shoulder, promptly pressing him down onto the chair. He noticed Ladiva behind him before facing his crew once again. "Why does it look like I'm in a bad situation?" That question

"You didn't know?" Jessica quipped. Gran shook his head.

"Well, you see…" Lyria began to explain. "It's been a few days since the trek to the mountains."

Gran was perplexed. "A few days? I was asleep for that long?" Skies, how had he been out for that long? He had overslept several hours at most in the worst scenarios.

"That's right!" Charlotta jumped onto the table. "We're all worried about you after pulling off some crazy stunt!"

Days. Skies. _No wonder they were so worried about me. _Gran smiled before bowing. "Thanks, everyone. I'm glad that you all care about me. I'll try to stay out of trouble like that again."

"That's our Captain." Lamretta yelled over the crew before turning around and jamming the window open. Laughter broke out as the drunk girl began barfing.

Aoidos jumped onto the stage and strummed a few chords on his guitar. "Today's the time for us to celebrate Gran's return."

Cheers went around as music restarted into fire. Gran casted a wave towards the guitarist and headed deeper to get much needed grub. The rest had smiles and a good time. Satisfied enough he guessed. For now, it's back to living the journey.

* * *

Eustace felt the unease in his gut growing as he continued to wait. His hands continued to oil the stock of his weapon. The Stratomizer was strewn across the table in its individual constituents. Each played a valuable role in forging a single point of thunder. They worked in silence, the moments he liked best but the moment continued to grate against his patience. Awaiting the one reply.

He overheard the discussion from Rosetta and her group by chance. Their idea was practical but it had no certainty. Without a source, the issue couldn't be resolved. Yet these second thoughts were growing far too comfortable for him to accept. Nonetheless it may prove not to be an option he could ignore. Gran's state of being would affect Lyria and any changes to their dynamic would affect his mission. Likewise, he was in agreement with the woman. Power had a cost.

Eustace switched the stock for the barrel. Peering through the long piece of metal, clear of obstruction. He lathed the right amounts of oil atop and through the barrel.

Gran was special. That much was clear upon meeting the pair but to think that his potential had just shot beyond the clouds. If the boy was able to put that ability to use without killing him, he could single handedly match the Eternals in combat. The buzz in his earpiece snapped him out of thought.

_Wow, just… wow. A dream where you meet your own self. I wouldn't believe it outright if it wasn't for you be the one reporting it._

"Honesty is one of his positive traits," Eustace said. Granted he had found it rather ridiculous at first but the boy had no reason to lie. Second, there were results and witnesses. Almeida was extra talkative about it. Though he had to tone down expectations given her exaggeration.

_Regardless, your report is intriguing. Outrageous, stupendous. Yet, intriguing._

"It's correct if you're doubting it." Witness accounts should prove sufficient evidence to bid for further research. That alongside the two days of Gran being bedridden. Eustace clacked the parts together. Duty to the Society obligated him to report the details. Conscience dictated him to find help in other ways.

_Your report says that this ability spurred on by chance and currently not under control. This is quite a find, Agent. The eggheads are going to love looking into it._

Eustace said nothing as he raised Stratomiser. Peering down the barrel towards an imaginary target. Focus onto its chest. His aim wavered at the silhouette.

_You could bring him here and we can run a few tests. Find out the cause and perhaps recreate it. Worst case scenario, we can try to contain it._

Eustace forced it to align before squeezing the trigger. A single solid click. "You know that would be counter intuitive to my mission." This would be a dangerous balancing act.

_The girl in blue is valuable in many ways but we cannot afford the risk to either. Otherwise, you wouldn't have reported in the first case. _His controller paused. _I'll try to keep things on the good side. Given the potential benefits, I'd wager higher ups will agree._

Eustace felt his throat tighten. Those words were far too optimistic. He tried to force an assurance. "Nothing that will hurt the boy. Your word for it." That would be his responsibility above all else. He will not condemn those that help him down the pits of Pandemonium.

Another pause. Many heartbeats too long.

_You have my word. It's for the benefit of everyone after all that the two are kept in fine condition. Humanity is going to need a lot more in the fight. Bring them at the earliest convenience lest time be of the essence. These shouldn't be thrown to whims of doubt._

Eustace settled Stratomiser onto the table. "I'll keep you informed when we have firm details. If things go south, you remember the consequences." He switched off the earpiece before stuffing it away into his pouch and buttoned it shut. Bargained hopefully for the better. _For hindsight can go so far._ Now he had to sell it alone to Gran and not antagonise the others in the process.

Author's Notes: Thank you for reading Within your Soul. As a whole of the overarching story, I was having somewhat trouble in trying to formulate an actual plotline that wouldn't be encompassing weeks. So many characters abound and finding the right point of the storyline to kick off, it was a rather tricky problem to solve. Can't be too early in the original lore and can't be too late or it'll be too easy as a whole. Furthermore, having so many characters in the overall lore (hundreds) make it tricky and without access to some made it quite a challenge of getting the characterization right (I hoped I nailed it right enough).

I hope I managed to get a good branch into the Society side considering their affiliation, possible resources and abilities for this unique problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: Thank you for reading Within your Soul. As a whole of the overarching story, I was having somewhat trouble in trying to formulate an actual plotline that wouldn’t be encompassing weeks. So many characters abound and finding the right point of the storyline to kick off, it was a rather tricky problem to solve. Can’t be too early in the original lore and can’t be too late or it’ll be too easy as a whole. Furthermore, having so many characters in the overall lore (hundreds) make it tricky and without access to some made it quite a challenge of getting the characterization right (I hoped I nailed it right enough).
> 
> I hope I managed to get a good branch into the Society side considering their affiliation, possible resources and abilities for this unique problem.


	4. Mirror's Image

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gran finds pride in his strength. He received more than what he knew as they continued to search for answers at a Society base.

_ **CHAPTER 4: Mirror's Image** _

* * *

Gran stepped onto the upper decks as dawn cracked beyond the clouds. The breeze was great as he stretched his arms. Gran set a knee onto Grandcypher's bowsprit and felt pride coursing through him. Grandcypher was a huge ship in comparison to others. Noa's creation and Rackam's pride. He was leading the crew towards Estalucia, lands of the astrals. Beyond the reach of man. Until his father.

_If Dad managed to do it, so can I._

Light heels approached from behind. He turned around with a smile. "Morning Rosetta."

Odd to see Rosetta rather unsettled. Her expression was focused, serious and staring directly into his own eyes. "Gran, I'll be direct. Some of us have talked about your ability. We're worried about it and have agreed to find some answers about it."

About his Soul Sync? Gran skipped on his feet several times. "I'm feeling perfect." Her expression didn't change. "It's going to be okay. I know it."

"Granted that you feel fine for the moment but this, this is unprecedented. I'd wager centuries of experience that there's more in store behind it. We just want to be sure that there's no hidden dangers behind it."

Hidden dangers? Gran felt slighted from her lack of confidence. He'd face dangers before, this would be no different. He now had the strength to face it head on. Nothing to fear about.

"What do we need to do?"

"The Hall of Knowledge, Arusha will help to research about your condition. Meanwhile, Altair and Alistair have volunteered to peruse their own academy libraries."

"Thats a while away." Several days of constant travel to reach there. That would be a big change in the schedule. And going backwards to add onto it.

His thoughts were interrupted by another voice. "Captain, I shall interject about this topic." They turned to see Eustace stepping up to the top deck to join them.

"Sure, Eustace. What's up?"

The Erune gave a nod towards Rosetta before continuing. "Their concern is valid within reason. I've heard several cases in between missions where people have fallen prey to side effects from incidents." That caught her full attention. "Likewise, I would suggest a similar solution. The Society has scientific equipment that can help to find the cause and they're willing to help a fellow ally."

_Eustace too?_ Gran contemplated an answer. They were his trusted friends. Rejecting their worries wouldn't be the right thing. Their experience has merits. There can be no harm to it, right?

"Let's do it." Their eyes widened. "I mean, you're afraid about it so might as well put this matter to rest." _I'll show them how it's going to be okay._

Rosetta eased herself, a little. "That's…correct. Very well, I'll inform Rackam about the change." She turned and strode towards the ship's wheel where the helmsman was lazing along the moment with Vryn on his shoulder.

Gran raised a fist. "Thanks. Appreciate it." He was met with a nod. "I'll head on down to let the others know the change of plans." He didn't see the Erune agent gaze at his back before taking a deep breath.

Eustace turned towards the endless skies, trying to find any hints beyond. There weren't any. "Don't count on it just yet."

* * *

Gran thought the announcement be simple. Address to the group for half a minute. Done. Not the case this time. "Do we need to do this?" Gran drew his sword free from its sheathe.

Baotarda drew his longsword and lifted his shield. "A moment of training from the respite of rest would serve you well. Humour me at the least for a few moments." The prompt announcement had railed him towards the gym. Originally meant for training and exercise, it was also common for sparring to keep honing their skill.

"Right." Gran noticed the growing crowd around him. Odd to see how many were vested in this match. He readied his blade. Baotarda nods. The cue had been given. Gran took the initiative, charging forward to battle.

The two begun their clash in earnest. Metal to metal as Gran sought to pierce through the knight's fortress defence. Baotarda was solid, reacting to every attempt. Gran struck multiple times, trying to create an opening to exploit. All attacks were met with a steady focus.

Movement. A jab towards his shoulder. Gran twisted under the blade, simultaneously countering toward Baotarda's sword flank. His sword met shield as the bigger knight stepped forward, deflecting it with the shield and mass. Gran felt the hammer, losing balance before rolling back and onto his feet. A nod from the Draph in a second's pause. Gran nodded back. _Guess, time to up the ante._

Aletheia approached Yodarha before speaking into his ears. "Quite an interesting spar."

"Disadvantaged but prevailing."

The crowd had cheered on the fight. Though Charlotta seemed to be at a loss at who to support. "Quite so. Baotarda had the advantage in all fronts. Greater reach and well protected. I have to admit that our Captain's doing rather well."

"Keke. His sword skills have improved. Much better than before."

"Remarkable difference for you to say it. That feint was perfectly timed."

Their conversation drew interest from a fellow swordswoman. Jeanne D'arc added. "Indeed, Gran's capitalising his speed better." Leaping from side to side, forcing the Draph to remain vigilant.

The harvin samurai hummed. "Unnatural progress in just a moment, worthy of a prodigy."

Gran skidded under the sword, trying to swipe at the ankles. A glancing blow, not enough to cut through armoured greaves. Sliding past, he hopped and spun around, slashing for the back. Slash met blade as Baotarda spun, the greater swing pushing Gran back. The Draph smiled. "You're always growing tougher to spar against."

Gran met the smile with his own. "Glad to hear that." Gran focused, before stepping forward into range. Calm coursed through his nerves, drawing minute changes to the strokes of his sword. Each footstep had been foreseen. Each strike, each response calculated by years of battle.

Gran spun the blade and reversed his grip. Lunging forward and below. It did not strike. Gran's hand held back by Baotarda's own wrist.

"Changing your sword form into a dagger's posture. Quite creative."

"Since your sword was longer than mine, I thought to leverage the gap." Cheers filled their ears.

Sevastien stepped up to the ring and pressed the tip of his blade onto the floor. "I believe that's enough of a spar."

"So, who won the fight?" Stan stumbled into the room. That prompted an argument war worthy of rattling the Grandcypher.

Baotarda raised his hand, drawing a moment of pause. "There are no victors today. Just fellow comrades." That prompted them to calm down.

Elmelaura stepped forward and hollered. "Everyone, we've prepared some snacks. Tasty rice crackers courtesy of our dear Rosine." Applause towards the approaching large tray of fresh crackers. "Line up in a queue or you're not getting any."

Gran sheathed his blade as the crew began a chaotic drive for snacks. For others, the battle was more important, being a spectacular moment to witness. For the veterans, it was certain. Gran was starting to soar higher than everyone else.

* * *

Gran watched as Lyria munched on her meal. He pointed at the stack of plates beside her. "Lowain would be proud to see you eat all of that."

Lyria settled her cutlery onto the table before giggling. It's a wonder how the Lowain brothers manage the kitchen budget given the size of the crew and including its heavy eaters. Though for tonight, it was just the two of them in the galley for now.

"Ehehe. Of course, I need a lot of energy to work my magic. It's also very good!" She waved her fork a few times before reaching for the next piece of the meat on the plate.

Watching her eat sometimes made him feel a bit bloated despite the normal portions he had for dinner. Gran stood up. "I'll help to clear the dishes first." He grabbed the stack and entered the kitchen. There, most of the tools had been returned to its place. Pots and pans hanging out to dry Rows of knives arrayed and resting on thin cloth. Cutlery and dishes stacked at a side. He gave a wave towards the trio brothers which were doing some kitchen inventory at the other end of the room.

Settling dirty plates into a sink with a satisfying clink. Gran pulled his sleeves and got to cleaning. Soap and rinse the wood. Clean the stains. Wipe the plate dry. Repeat.

Working through the motions made it calming. Nothing to think about. Lyria joined him with her last dish and helped to wash. They didn't need to speak, choosing to just enjoy the moment by humming. A few hums here, a few more there. Coinciding along and miming along a random tune. That prompted a few laughs from the opposite end before continuing their inventory. Left Gran and Lyria hummed back as a response before Lowain gave a casual salute and dived back under the cabinet.

They were done in a few moments and left the kitchen to the cooks. Returning to the table and clean it up before perhaps turning in for the night. They weren't expecting these guests.

"Katalina, Vryn. I wouldn't expect you two together." Especially given her tendency to pet furry or fluffy creatures. Vryn sagged deeper into the table with a blegh. _I spoke too soon._

Katalina waved. "Gran, Rackam said we'll be reaching our destination by tomorrow afternoon." They took a seat opposite of her. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Gran felt normal and perhaps much better after the spar with Baotarda. Enthusiastic even. The exercise got his blood pumping and curious to test out some new moves.

"You've brewed quite a storm. I heard that we're detouring to the Society. I'm glad," Katalina said. "We don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Gran reached out. "Thanks. I'd like a wager of confidence though." His older version had some sense of authority and confidence. He wasn't wrong either.

"You did give a scare, passing out like that. Lyria was at your bed for those three nights."

"Hau…" Lyria moaned.

Vryn jabbed the air. "That's right! You had no idea how worried we were when you just dropped onto the ground!" The little dragon flapped over besides him. "Don't you ever think of doing that kind of stunt again."

Gran rubbed the back of his head. "My bad then. Well, things will turn out fine. We always overcome the challenge, no matter how daunting it is."

"Yeah, you've already died once." Vryn's voice trailed off. "I don't want to see that happen again."

Gran rubbed the dragon's head. "Sorry. To all of you. I'll make sure things will be right." That prompted warm smiles from the others. _Yeah, he had to be careful. _So that those smiles were never lost.

* * *

Gran breathed, weaving his body in a perilous orchestra of metal and war. He fought to live within this very moment. Whipping up dust and sand before twisting his blades to parry. The hard swing of sharpened claws rattled along the edges of his blade. The impact sent him flying to land on his feet, skidding across sand before being stopped by a powerful arm from Yurius. The Levin knight let go before humming. "What an interesting primal." Gran took a deep breath, staring at the primal of the earth.

"Interesting would be the least of it." Siete stepped up beside the Levin Knight. His posture was relaxed before giving a grin. "I'd like to take the lady out for a date but regrettably you can't take only part of the package."

Cybele, a well defined and beautiful female primal were it not for the large beastial mount beneath her. Long white fur with horns and sharp teeth. The flame on its tail flared on the growing rage. The long whip the woman wielded had been a pain to get in close.

A brown blur darted around the beast, clawing away at any points of opportunity. "Can you guys lend a hand over here? This is unbecoming of a dragon to do all the work." Scathacha flipped over the beast, drawing blood from the womanly figure atop the lion. The beast's tail nearly clipped the Erune, taking advantage by using it as a swing to fly back towards the group.

The Eternal raised his hand, spinning the blue blades of light hovering behind him. "Right, right. Time to get the show on the road. Shall we?" Siete cast down his hand, sending forth a dozen blue blades flying. "Infinit Klearre." Swords of blue light made their mark, stabbing deep across the flesh of the beast that shielded its master from harm.

Djeeta shot forward, her form a red blur. Her approach was barely seen. Refined footwork and practice of a dancer to be able to stay so close to the beast, cut and dodge by a hair's breadth. Jeanne joined the frontline, slicing away as the main aggressor as melody from the Eternal harpist boosted spirits and lifted their burdens.

"Watch the tail!" Jeanne called before dodging a bulky set of claws. Gran shot forward, parrying it aside with one blade before stabbing with the other. The Chrysaur felt the immense resistance trying to pierce through thick skin. The blade jerked free slick with blood as Cybele's mount pulled back its paw and tried to bite wit its gnarly teeth.

Jeanne struck, sending it reeling. "Thanks." Gran capitalised, doing a dual slash from below before jumping into an overhead spinning slash. Cybele reared back as his second pair of blows were blocked by a whip. He landed into a roll as Djeeta followed up with a dozen cuts along its side.

Cybele raised her whip, energy forming along its tip. She cast it down, sending a barrage of red magics. Ground rocked from explosions as Gran spun and twisted his blades, parrying and deflecting the explosive rain.

Siete's reply was another hail of swords from above, stopping the barrage. _Chance!_ Gran nodded to Jeanne. They moved as one. She struck from the right. He, from the left. Both paws drew blood. The tail sent Jeanne back as he continued toward its side, drawing energy into the Windhose blade.

"Gale Stream!" Gran struck. Wind burst free from the blade, eating into the hard hide. Thin slices of blood splattered against the ground. The beast roared before a ball of black energy formed in front of Gran. Warning leapt to his throat and his feet exploded back.

Yurius canted. "Duke Lamina!" A white explosion shrouded the primal, scorching ground in magical flame.

Djeeta and Scathacha landed beside Gran. Scathacha dusted off her cloak. "Hey Yurius! Give some heads up, will you?"

Yurius chuckled before swinging his sword and sending tiny white blasts of energy. "I trust your instincts to avoid that. You are a mighty dragon after all."

The little Erune turned around and huffed. "Not an excuse to blow us up in the process! You got me all covered in dust!" That prompted the carefree knight to laugh. Gran had no interest in getting between those two.

Djeeta shrugged. "It's not so bad. At least it's nice and warm."

Jeanne kept her eyes on the foe. "I see. Then we shall best bask in the fires of our attacks."

That caused Djeeta to balk. "That's not how it's supposed to be…" The dancer's eyes sharpened. "It's coming!"

The lion charged forward, swinging its large claws at them. Gran braced up and parried with both blades. It wasn't enough, throwing him into the air. Righting himself, Gran landed before seeing another rain of swords.

"Cien Mils Espada!" Another explosion, enough to blow a gust of air towards them.

Cybele was relatively unharmed by the assault given the magical barrier. That prompted Siete to frown. "You think once is enough?" Siete smiled before blue energy burst from his frame.

_Cuore Di Leone_

A snap of fingers and Gran felt raw power coursing through his bones. Energetic was the weakest way to put at it. Overflowing. He could take on the world. _To think how an Eternal carried so much strength._

Cybele's face grew in indignation. "Such arrogance." She spun the glowing whip before striking the ground.

Djeeta yelled. "Watch your feet!"

Earth quaked before rocks sputtered in a cloud. Jeanne spun her blade and stabbed into the ground. "Salvation!" Gran felt magic armour forming, protecting him from the worst of the rockfall.

"Thanks." The rest managed to dodge or took the least of it. Sharp cracks of melodic sound counterattacked from Niyon, stringing a deadly medley of battle.

Gran felt a hand on his shoulder. Siete's gaze was amused. "All this is taking too long. Gran, fancy if you can buy us a moment?"

"A moment's nothing."

Siete grinned. "Come Niyon. Time to double trouble."

"Fine." Niyon strung a melody. "Nine-Realm's Security." Gran felt the song coursing through his blood, invigorating him with power.

Djeeta and Scathacha were once speedy blurs. Now he couldn't even see them. Vanishing images striking dozens of cuts in seconds. He glanced down towards his sword. The blade's winged guard flickered open. Magic poured into the sword, transforming its sharp edge with a green sheen.

Cybele was pushed back, forcing to make an enclosing barrier to avoid death by a thousand cuts. Djeeta persisted, slicing away without avail. "This is a hard nut to crack!"

Siete turned over his shoulder. "Excellent Niyon. Lyria, call for Freyr's blessing, would you?"

"Yes, Siete!"

The master of swords turned back towards the fight before canting silent words that still rung deep in Gran's own heart.

_My life is made of blades._

Niyon's single word struck a chord. "Ventagartan Svala." Invisible soundwaves struck at the barrier, opening a hairline crack. Djeeta leaned aside from the tail before striking at the opening, stretching the line.

_Born as a sword. To live and serve as one._

"Duke Lamina!" Yurius expanded the hairline into a knife's length.

_Protecting those that deserve it._

"Fierte Jolie!" Jeanne's heavy-handed blow forced the crack wider.

Gran felt himself become a bullet. Sprinting fast to risk overshooting. Gran felt familiar blessings resting on his back. Sparks cracked in his ear as Windhose compressed it a windstorm.

"Gale Stream!" Gran slashed. Wind drilled into the weakened points.

"Your attack wouldn't break through!" Cybele raised her whip.

"If once isn't enough…" Gran pushed his right feet.

Leather whipped soil as he pivoted around his left.

"Try on two!" Gran leveraged momentum, swinging his second blade from below.

Energy flared as the Atma blade glowed.

"Supernova!"

Sparks clashed again before feeling the barrier shatter and draw blood along the beast's face. Gran felt satisfaction grew on his lips, watching the rage of the primal woman.

"Gran!" Djeeta called. He leapt back, clearing the way.

_Come forth for I am thy master._

Siete's eyes glowed blue. Dozens, no, hundreds of blades formed ready behind his back. He raised his own sword in hand and pointed at Cybele. A large beam glowed from the tip of his sword.

"Seven-Star's Brilliance!" On his command, it fired. Gran felt the intense heat along his side despite standing ten paces away. Hard to standing still from the sheer buffeting winds bursting through the seams from the sword.

The blue fascination blinded Gran. His ears told of such immense power from the quaking and rupture of the earth. A single instant turned into an everlasting change of nature.

When the smoke dispersed, the result was clear.

Victory.

* * *

Gran woke up to see the wooden ceiling and the ambiance of soaring through the sky. What he'd seen were memories, just that those weren't his. "I'll be damned. That was quite a show." The way he wielded dual blades like that was cool. He'd need a lot more strength in the arm to pull that off but he'd manage it in a short time and be able to charm the ladies with that. Chicks dig abs and biceps after all.

Gran blinked. This wasn't how he acted either. He stared at his hands. They were his, yet foreign. A slither of uncertain taste lingering along the back of his mind. Unnatural. A deep squeeze in his chest. He had no idea what's happening to him.

It wouldn't matter. Today was the day they'll arrive to the Society. He got off the bed to freshen up. With morning around, the others might wonder his lack of appearance. Though the rest should be pursuing their own interests in the meantime. A day or two wouldn't fret the crew.

Climbing to the top deck, he could see the place. A large island with tall mountains. Thick forests to the left. A large lake and river in the middle. The wide dockyard was below the mountains where small shapes of a town silhouetted the background.

Several ships were in the area but they were quite small in comparison to the Grandcypher. Rackam eased the approach before docking Grandcypher in a smooth controlled motion. Gran spotted a tower at the base of the mountain. Towering over the nearby buildings by a large margin. That would probably be the headquarters on the island and their destination.

Beatrix stretched her arms as the dockyard workers moved to get a portable staircase in place. "Yeahhh, it's good to be back." Zeta shrugged as Eustace continued glancing across the dock. They volunteered to help for today.

Vasarega would be helping to resolve his fellow's errands on the island and would not be joining them. The staircase rolled up to the ship's side before clacking onto the rails. Gran reached for Lyria's hand before stepping off the Grandcypher. The crew would enjoy their leave in the town while they handled business.

The dock was busy given the bustle of the area. Workers were loading and unloading cargo from the six ships already docked. Meanwhile, he'd notice pockets of soldiers mulling about, doing presumably their duty. That was when he heard footsteps. Heavy unanimous footfalls.

Gran turned around to see a cadre of men marching, or rather sprinting in formation. They were slated to march past them along the road. More important was the heavy-handed yelling by a particular Erune.

"FASTER YOU MAGGOTS! OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO SCRUB THE LATRINES AGAIN FOR THE FOURTH TIME THIS WEEK?"

"SIR YES SIR!" Thirty pairs of heavy boots clanked in sync, bringing a foreboding sense of strength and trouble. Said drill instructor was tagging behind at an equal pace. Gran felt a quiver to greet the comrade they cared for.

Beatrix had no such qualms. "Ilsa!"

Ilsa stopped, turned around and narrowed her eyes in a blink. "Beatrix, it appears you've not matched decorum upon landing."

Beatrix waved her off. "Such formalities are just a waste." That didn't go so well for her.

"Perhaps that you need another of my training sessions then." That prompted Beatrix to freak out.

"It's, it's totally not needed!" Her eyes darted about before rushing away. "Got to get Embrasque checked out for maintenance. Bye!"

Ilsa sighed at the girl's prompt disappearance before turning her attention towards him. "I've heard the news. It's good to see you again Gran despite the ominous reasons it may be."

"Bea had it coming." Zeta hefted Arvess onto her shoulders. "We'll handle things with Gran. Have fun." That prompted the Erune to chuckle before returning to her duty. The trope had trotted a reasonable distance but it was nothing for her to catch up with more harsh language.

An orderly strutted forward to the group. "Welcome Agents. I see you've arrived as planned." The man lowered his round rimmed glasses to look at Gran. "Ah, you must be Gran."

"That's right."

"I'm Socrates. Come now. We'll find out what's going on with you. Everything has been prepared. Everything is prepared indeed." Gran nodded to Lyria before following the man. Eustace and Zeta kept a loose pace along the back.

Socrates took them down a series of corridors. Blue light shined across the entire length of the corridor from the long rectangular panel at the top. Many of the rooms had windows but blocked out with blinds. Most of them appear to be occupied given by the white glow through the blinds. The rooms that didn't have blinds were more rudimentary with long work benches and tools that Gran were more familiar with.

"Wow. This place looks similar to Nicholas' workshop." Lyria marvelled. She was right but here, the place felt a bit colder. A shiver down his arm.

"Yes, yes. We aren't the only ones perusing science. Always good to hear that indeed." The elderly man opened a door into a large room. "Right, here we are." A bed in the middle alongside some blocky machine at the side. The big round machine with small lights at the top though was intimidating. "Off with the armour, the machine won't do well with those on." Gran turned towards Eustace who was studying the device with the deep stare. The Erune nod before standing by the door.

"Geh, this looks rather creepy." Zeta tapped the big round device at the back with Arvess. It rattled but nothing happened. Strange why it had a big hole in the middle. _As though to fit something inside. Or someone._

Socrate wagged his finger. "Now, Agent. No poking the machine. It wouldn't like metal very much nor would your spear." Zeta backed off. A few words with Eustace prompted her to wait outside.

In moments, Gran was propped onto the bed and long belts of leather were tied above him. Eustace raised a brow. "Are those necessary?"

"Mere precaution. Just in case things didn't go as planned. Always good practice indeed." Socrates said without a beat. He pulled at the belts, satisfied. "This shouldn't hurt. All's going to be fine. Stay calm, relax and it'll be right as rain."

_Shouldn't._ Not helpful to his confidence. Gran took a deep breath and sagged deeper into the mattress. He glanced over towards Eustace standing by the side. The Erune gave a nod before turning his focus onto the orderly. Gran noticed one important detail. Eustace had a hand on Stratomizer's holster.

Socrates flipped several switches on the machine. "We'll be starting now."

The lamps flickered on. First were tiny blue orbs. Then green, red, yellow and orange. Getting far brighter that they were rather painful to look at. Gran turned away to avoid the worst of it. Several other

_Search…_

Whose voice was that? Nobody else appeared to have noticed it.

_Search for it…_

Gran couldn't tell where it was coming from. All around him and yet not there at all.

_Search for the light._

Gran turned back to the lamps; those had turned crystal white. There. A little orb the size of a nail. Green flickers on its last edges along the side. He couldn't reach out to grab it. The flicker flared stronger as he stared deeper into it. Before a flash of light, and then nothing left.

Gran looked around. Nobody else must have noticed. Or is this something related to him and that device? He had no clue as Socrates flipped several more switches. "Hmm, preliminaries look interesting but nothing off the standards. We'll be moving into the main part of the test." The bed began to move into the tube. Gran had a growing feeling that it wasn't going to be so good.

Author's Notes: Thank you for reading Within your Soul. The Chrysaur's battle is one of the first actual scenes I've written for this side story and was a narrative rendition of my crew's guild war battle in GBF. Relatively accurate in most part but with a bit of flair for fun's sake. Part experiment in trying to refine further on my combat writing mechanics. Not to overdose it with detail while not underworking it considering the complex mechanics at hand. Let me know what you think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: Thank you for reading Within your Soul. The Chrysaur’s battle is one of the first actual scenes I’ve written for this side story and was a narrative rendition of my crew’s guild war battle in GBF. Relatively accurate in most part but with a bit of flair for fun’s sake. Part experiment in trying to refine further on my combat writing mechanics. Not to overdose it with detail while not underworking it considering the complex mechanics at hand. Let me know what you think.


	5. Depth of Uncertainty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gran find a horror that terrifies him. Lyria seeks to cheer him up against the nightmare. Together, they try to find peace and answers.

_ **CHAPTER 5: Depth of Uncertainty** _

* * *

"How do you feel?" Eustace asked from his perch by the door.

"Nothing different." Gran answered. The entire process hadn't been long. An hour or so. Most of it had been spent inside that tube. Granted, Gran had some apprehension but it subsided the longer the test continued. The machine had a lot of humming before moving him in and out along the tube. Socrates had been intrigued given by the amount of humming but no further answer. Eustace probed for his thoughts but that just made Socrates asking for peace. Answers in due time and all that. Though Gran felt it would probably take a while for the scientists to process through.

Eustace leaned to peek out the door. "Good. I wouldn't trust these wise kinds of guys to stay their hand."

"Here's some candy for you, Gran." Beatrix wagged a lollipop at him. She had rejoined them mid test while Zeta went to have a chat with Ilsa. Some of it related towards her fellow comrade in trouble.

Gran raised an eyebrow. "I'm not some kid after seeing the doctor."

"Tradition matters after all. Isn't that right Lyria?" Her comrade in blue nodded in excitement. Gran grabbed the sweet and took a bite. As to be expected, extra sweet.

"I mean it's all well since everyone wants to help out." Eustace narrowed a brow but said nothing.

"I'll have a word with them. Beatrix, stay put." He closed the door mid stride out.

"Eustace is acting so bossy." Beatrix huffed.

"Eustace has the best intentions for Gran. I'm sure of it," Lyria said.

"Really now. I think he's been a bit of an old sport." Beatrix pouted in return. "The way those machines have been going was a bit weird. Just like how Embrasque has been feeling strange lately."

"Strange?" Lyria tilted her head which prompted Beatrix to sigh.

"Yeah, and I have no idea why." She grabbed her head before letting out a frustrated cry. "Gah, it's so annoying to not know what's the problem is."

"Maybe the answer will come to you if you get some good sleep." Gran suggested. A lot of things, both good and bad had been coming while literally asleep.

That perked her up. "That's right. I should learn how to meditate like Ghandoza and those oldies." She beamed. "Thanks a lot, ufufu, its time for me to bring a reward. Fancy for me to know here that there's an awesome bakery with tasty bread and cold drinks. I'll go get us some."

"Let me join you." Lyria hopped to her feet with gleaming eyes. The two were out in a jiffy, leaving him alone.

Gran lied down onto the bed. The lights had vanished when the experiment stopped. All this room had to offer him was cold silence. It gave him time to think a little. About things that have been happening lately. These changes were recent. This power made him stronger. Faster, smarter, resilient. Who knows the potential he could achieve with it? Though…

If it comes to shove, could he let it go?

Gran sighed. _We'll find out once we reach that bridge. _He noticed the silence in the area. Little ringing in his ears. He glanced at the clock. They'd probably need a while if they need to go back out into the town. Zeta was nowhere to be seen. Gran stood up and stepped outside. Maybe she'd be interested for a short chat.

Gran felt a shiver walking down these corridors. The long hallways were bright but something felt off. There should be people walking and doing their work. Though the corridors felt a bit cold and empty. There were many people bustling about outside. Why did it feel like a tomb in here? He continued to find Zeta but without any luck.

"… results." Eustace's voice inside one of the rooms. The window had blinds strung across, covering everything. The words were muffled through the door. Something compelled him to listen.

"…analysis…unclear. Further…"

The fans in the ceiling rumbled, muffling more of the conversation.

"…danger."

_What did they manage to find? Was it something dangerous as Rosetta feared?_

"I'll… that." Eustace picked up something. Gran decided to return to the room lest he overstayed his welcome. Backtracking to the room wasn't trouble and Gran settled himself onto the bed and fiddled his thumbs in wait. Eustace arrived a short moment after and Gran asked. "How was it?"

Eustace shook his head. "They've found nothing conclusive. They will need some time to study the data." It wasn't an all clear but it won't be anything that will kill him within days. "Where's Beatrix and Lyria?"

Putting two and two together, it appears to match. "Good to hear. Beatrix and Lyria went to get some snacks. Said it was good."

"When she says good, it'll probably be too sweet for normal taste." Eustace pointed with a nod. "They'll be that way. Come, no point staying around in this dreadful room."

Gran hopped off his feet and followed the Erune. "I haven't asked about this but do you and the others have anything to resolve here before we depart?"

Eustace gestured towards the exit. "Nothing urgent for me. We should be prepared to leave in a few hours."

"Woah, no rush there. We can stay one night if need be. I'd like to catch up with Ilsa and her team."

Eustace raised a brow before nodding. "Very well." They walked on in silence. Gran decided to put the issue aside and place his trust in Eustace. Whatever it'll be, he'll probably be the first to know. After all, that's what friends are for.

* * *

"The cakes were so delicious, wasn't it Gran?"

"Yeah Lyria. The tea was great too." Gran quipped, biting away at a small piece of sweet bread. Beatrix brought them to a cafe where they would meet Zeta and Ilsa. The sweet and breads there were delicious, the most renowned store on the island. Apparently, Beatrix's prompt escapade hadn't been well received by the drill sergeant. Considering how the sergeant's training had just finished as well. Comedy ensued.

Hours later, they returned to the Grandcypher with several cartons of bread. The port was just as busy compared to when they arrived. Gran moved as they climbed up the docking staircase. There, he noticed Sen lazing under the sun on the top of the mast. Several of the others were giving the deck a good cleaning. Though the odd inflatable swimming pool stood out a lot. Gran gave mental shrug and moved on.

"Can someone let me down already?" Beatrix cried out from above them. All tied up. Hanging below a floating balloon, held by a small rope courtesy of Zeta. Teasing punishment of sorts.

Zeta smirked. "Bea, letting you down would be against Ilsa's wishes. You know I can't do that."

"We're going already, so let me down."

Rackam came out from the engine room, sweating despite the thin singlet. "Ah Captain. How did things go?"

"Good as it can be. The scientists say they'll need some time to check through everything. We got some bread for everyone."

Rackam shrugged at the answer. "Then I suppose the timing is perfect. We're about done in getting the ship supplied. Got a good scrubbing along the decks, hull and engine. Fancy that Karteira managed to buy a huge load of bonito meat at a bargain." That caught Lyria's intense eye.

"Yummy…" Lyria hummed.

Heavy thumps up the staircase behind them. Gran turned over around to see Vasarega with his customary scythe. "Beatrix. I see you have engaged in a new hobby."

"Totally not the way it is! Gran, Lyria! Help me out here!" Beatrix cried out.

Gran and Lyria traded laughs before Vryn said with a smug. "Only if the others tell us its okay to let you down. I wouldn't want to end up right there with you."

"Why Vryn! Why me?" The hanging girl was now into a sob.

Eustace gave the wailing girl no heed as he approached Gran. "Captain, it might be good for you to rest."

Gran shook his head. "I feel alright. In fact, I've been sticking still for so long on that bed." He was eager to get moving, even for a short while.

"Very well. I shall leave you to it. Vasarega, a word with you." Eustace entered further below decks, out of sight. Vasarega followed suit.

Lyria said before vanishing beneath the deck. "I'll go help out at the kitchen!"

Vryn fluttered after her. "Don't you dare finish the bread before dinner!"

Gran shook his head with a smile. By now, the sun was starting to set. He turned towards the helmsman. "Rackam, I think we can enjoy the night here. I'd imagine everyone could use a nice walk in the town." Apparently, there was more in store especially after the sun sets.

Rackam gave a casual salute. "Sure thing. I'll sound it on the horn." He went towards the ship's wheel to relay the good news. In the meantime, perhaps Gran should have a word with Rosetta. That woman was worried sick ever since that time. Some good news should lift her mood. He reached under the deck when he heard a muffled scream.

"Hey, did everyone forget about me already? Can someone untie me, please?" Beatrix wailed as Zeta sighed and yanked along the rope.

* * *

Gran opened his eyes to see a red desert across the horizon. Similar to Agastia island. He walked or rather watched his body move on its own. He had no control, watching a theatric play unveil itself.

The desert had not been kind. Walking alone in the desert underneath a heavy cloak to shield away against the tearing storms of sand. His feet marched up and down dunes on a consistent but slow pace. Clouds of dust obscured everything only to see several paces in front of him. Sand was dedicated in getting into his shoes, pants and mouth. Hard leather and the mask protected the extremities against the elements with each step. Stranger fact was how he was journeying alone. There were few moments where he'd travel alone, especially after meeting Lyria and the others. Yet his body continued to move through the sand.

Time passed. The dusty trek led towards a set of cliffs, eaten away by the storms. He stopped. There, a cave at the lower side of the outcrop. Wide enough to fit just two persons. The winds stopped pummelling against the cloak, prompting Gran to lower his hood and mask. Blue walls coated with sheet white sand. Spears of rock at the ceiling and below on the ground. A narrow path remained between the gaps of rocks and sand. Little shrubs trying to grow in the poor and damp area beside the patches of moss.

He pressed on, bending through the gaps. Cold grasp of wind shivered along the back of his neck. The path branched into several choices. Gran continued forward, choosing without qualm of doubt. Walking through the spears of rock took a while, winding through about half dozen or so turns. He stopped as he reached the end. An oasis, large enough to fill a person in its entirety.

"Here it is." His own voice. Rougher and aged. Still energetic. Crystal clear water, savouring the sight of bliss and the energies it carried. Dirty scoffed hands reached into the cold glistening pool and drank. Fresh bliss entered his throat, feeling every bit of joy from the liquid of life. Something inside rejuvenated, giving a nice warmth along his back. Each sip of water felt like addictive honey.

Several long pulls of water satisfied his being for a moment. The warmth spread, now into his gut. Strange. A weird feeling along his back. Like something that wasn't supposed to be there. Like the pull of muscle and flesh. Something is wrong. The water too. Opaque black creeping out across the water, corrupting the crystal-clear fluid. What's happening?

"Hmm. Even the world too huh…" His own voice was older. Rough and starched dry. Yet retaining that natural charisma laced with subtle intents. Drawing the blackened water before rubbing it into his face. Wet yet burning to the skin. Flicking droplets aside, the pool had now been turned miasma. Now, it gleamed bright with a white reflective shine. Showing his own face.

Gran felt a jolt in the heart. He'd never imagine to see such a transformation. White hair, skin that had aged poorly towards a pale deathly tone. Bloodshot red eyes.

Those eyes. They weren't staring at its reflection. They were staring right at him. A smile blossomed.

"I see you."

Gran shot awake. His body drenched in cold sweat. Frantic breaths to ward away the chills within his bones. Midnight, several hours to go given the amount of moonlight. The dryness in his lips and throat. He raised his hand. Shaking beyond control, even when he clenched it shut. _What in the skies was that?_

That fear choking his chest. There was little that he was afraid of. Yet the glance from those eyes terrified him. They carried a statement. That he would die right there and then. He stood up onto wobbly feet and rinsed his face by the sink. Watching his own face, his eyes were sullen. He blinked to see those eyes again. Deathly glares. He shoved the afterimage aside before stepping out and dressing up. Perhaps it was better to practice his swordsmanship than try to sleep. Lest would he meet the man of Death.

* * *

The dark stain refused to fade. Something black that blotted so thick that it couldn't be scrubbed away from the back of his head. Even as he ground his spoon against the bottom of his bowl. Remembering that moment continued to bring nausea to him. He didn't know what to feel from witnessing such a thing.

Who was that? What happened? Was it a dream? Or was it real? There was no answer, all the more to add into the gut-wrenching feeling.

"Gran, are you okay?" Lyria's voice broke him from his spell of thought.

Gran stopped grinding the spoon and shook his head. "Just some heavy stuff in my head. Nothing bad." Yet.

Katalina didn't buy it. "You've been quiet for nearly an hour." She gave a faint assuring smile. "Please do let us know if you're not feeling well. Though I have to admit the other time was for the better but I believe we have enough surprises as it is."

The galley was empty, reaching the end of dinner. Had he been drifting off for that long? Katalina was right. He understood the responsibility. He shouldn't keep secrets. But there is the line between truth and fiction. One that he had no answer for now.

"Want to talk about it? I heard that you feel better if you let it out of your heart." Katalina asked.

"It was a nightmare."

"A nightmare?" Katalina's face crunched. "It reminds me of the time we met Phoebe and Morphe for the first time."

Gran shared her sentiments. The distortions in his dream then were vivid. Frightful and would have bent if he hadn't grown up to it by then. He continued on past them. Although, for this dream, the surrealism is a strong punch. "Yeah, dealing with those dreams were difficult. This was just as bad."

"Nightmares are always trouble. Perhaps we can ask Morphe to prepare a brew of his tea. They help a lot on a bad night's sleep." Katalina stood up. "I'll go on and ask since I need to get something done along the way."

Gran gave his thanks as the knight headed for the door. "I'll be here." He heard the door shut. Leaving him and Lyria to remain in the galley.

He was at a loss on how to express the nightmare. People were worried about him as it is. He didn't have the right to be so imposing onto them. Despite that line of thought, he found it hard to resist Lyria's natural curiosity. She'd face hard times before. _Maybe she is right after all._

He placed the spoon aside, trying to form the right words. "Lyria, what would you do…if I become a bad guy?" He heard the table thump before turning to see Lyria's face a breath away.

Their eyes met as she said. "Of course, it wouldn't happen. I know you are always a good person at heart. You've always been doing good things for everyone. You can't say yourself to become a bad person."

_Such determined fire. _Gran nodded. "Yeah, I help everyone whenever I can. But, what if? What if I actually did become bad?" That possibility terrified him. To be twisted the entire way from the right into wrong was no easy feat. Yet it had been done.

"I'd hit you to come to your senses." The way she pouts was rather cute. "Even if you are lost deep inside your worries. I'll always be there for you."

A warm gentle rise in his chest. Gran was glad to be reminded again. Love had no bound or equal. She will protect him as he did to her. And so did the crew have his back. "Thanks, Lyria. It means a lot to me."

"Hehe." Lyria beamed in response. He rubbed her head, enjoying the moment in blissful silence.

* * *

Gran found the moment difficult. Impatience nudged at him from point to point. He opened his eyes to see green. Branches dangling their leaves in the soft breeze of wind between the narrow open corridors of the lush forest. Tiny ringing of insects and the chirps of birds echoed in his ears.

"Breathe," Sevilbarra said. Gran watched Mirin and Yodarha remained composed with their eyes closed. Yodarha had suggested for the session, a step towards bringing calm to their Captain. This place had been a known locale on the island by the locals for relaxing and meditation. Mats made of thin strips of wood had been placed around the area to be comfortable.

For now, he closed his eyes and tried to ease his breathing. Focus on being empty. Thoughts and memories began to dredge up. _A year now since everything began._

_Vryn_

_Rackam_

_Katalina_

_Io_

_Eugen_

_Rosetta_

_Lyria_

The crew had started from these few. Now, he had nearly a hundred and more welcomed with open arms. Each member was important to him. He cherished all of them. Gran pursued strength so that he could fight alongside them. Protect them when needed.

_You just see them as weak._

_No. _Gran refused to see it that way. They've pursued so much together. Shared many beautiful memories in such a short time with much more to come.

_You refuse to let yourself be weak. An excuse only to salvage your pitiful pride._

_That's not true. They're all strong too. In their own way and in fact better than me in some ways._

_Liar._

_No! I -_

"You are agitated, Captain." Sevilbarra's voice jolted him out of thought.

Gran opened his eyes to meet Sevilbarra's. "Sorry."

Yodarha opened his eyes with a grin. "Keke, you're still young with lots of youthful energy. Time you need to reach wisdom."

"That remains true. I'm surprised Mirin remains well focused." Sevilbarra turned towards the samurai girl before frowning.

_Had she fallen asleep? _Gran held back his chuckle as Yodarha continued to cackle. Today wasn't going as well as hoped but it wasn't all bad. Sevilbarra shook his head with a chuckle. "Perhaps I spoke too soon."

Rustle of leaves. What was that he was hearing? Large heavy footsteps rumbling nearby and growing louder. Gran climbed to his feet. "We have company."

Yodarha stood, drawing his pair of katanas. "Keke, quite a group to interrupt the moment." Gran grabbed his sword as Sevilbarra shook Mirin awake.

An approaching horde of clay golems with squeals of bloodlust. Given their fervour, that would be tough to deal with so many at once. Gran grinned. Finally, a challenge worth burning steam over.

Gran sprinted forward, drawing the horde's ire. Leaping overhead, he landed behind a Clay Golem, cutting along its back. He became the human bullet, darting from target to target in a constant melody of sword arts.

"Don't overextend yourself." Sevilbarra called out as they too entered battle. Gran did not fear. The battle was in his hands. Excitement bloomed. Eager to strike one after another.

The numbers have thinned by the number of corpses. Yet he could not tell how many remained due to their overly size.

"These don't want to go away!" Mirin hopped over her opponent before spinning with a slash against the midsection.

Gran swung his sword, twisting and darting between the mobs. Chaos of battle through the sounds of slicing flesh and clangs of metal against rock and clay. He hadn't realised when a half dozen remained. The biggest of the horde stood wanting. A stone golem. Its yellow eyes staring into his. Those fists would crush him in a single blow. Gran had doubt to defeat it with one strike. It was enough to call upon the needed precision.

"Soul Sync."

The world changed. Taller, drabbed in a hakama. Half of the side unbound to reveal his shoulder. A long brown scarf wrapped around his neck. He felt a new presence next to him. Burning within the long sets of katanas he carried. The arts of the Kengo filled his mind. Serene calm blanketed over the indecision. Clarity of the situation. Certainty of the actions to take. Confirmation for the death of his opponent.

Gran placed a hand onto the katana. "Mirin, Sevilbarra, Yodarha. Clear a path. Leave the last one to me." Gran commanded. They shot forward as one. Their blades clashing through the horde. Beasts collapsed defeated.

Gran watched the approach of the enemy. His eyes absorbed every detail. Inside, his mind churned in the gardens of sakura flowers.

_Arms, legs, chest, shoulders_

_Six points to strike_

_Replicate every slash in thought_

_Envision each swing of the blade_

_Lean into the posture_

_Feel every part of the blade in your fingertips_

_Feel the spirits and its emotions coursing along the steel_

_Pull the energy from the flesh_

_Push into the apex of metal_

_Thrust it into your hand, all for this one moment._

_Click and free the weapon from the clutches of its protector._

The monster was just four paces away. Pulling back its arm to bludgeon him.

_Draw._

Flashes of light, following an arm trained beyond his memory. Gran sidestepped past the monster as it charged past.

_Return._ The katana clapped shut as its effects bore fruit. Three paces away, it crashed onto the ground. Splashes of wood splintered before limbs shattered and broke free.

All monsters had been subdued. Gran allowed the sync to disperse, returning him to his original form. Mirin sheathed her own blade with a cheer. "Splendid. Gozaru. That was very nice technique Captain."

Gran nodded. "I received good training for that Gozaru."

Yodarha jested. "Ohoho, I see you've taken to Mirin's saying as well. Truly you're following the arts of the blade. You might be able to be among the best wielders of the katana in half a year with such practice."

Gran smiled, hiding away the apprehension as best he could. It was a small price for greatness.

* * *

Altair didn't know what to say. To group up all the wisest minds, both on the science and magics together in one room. Either inherently dangerous or foolish. Today had been a mess. Letter from Arusha and Johann had just arrived and reading through it led to the unwanted answer. Nothing of the archives found useful to help so far.

Philosophia and Alistair going about their debates in the corner of the room. Cagligostro humming and pretending to be the young little girl when he's actually not. Sarunan sitting by the side, closed eyes in deep thought. Eustace and Rosetta were watching the group in silence.

Literature, history, tactics and battle plans. All those were his forte. Devising strategies to handle impossible odds? A challenge he could handle. Managing this motley group of wisecracks? He was tempted to run off to his room, lock it shut and hunker down beneath the bedsheets with a book. Only held down by the notion of helping Gran through this endeavour.

Grant be he couldn't read his book in the moment given all the racket they were making. A busy market would be par for the competition.

Rosetta tried to make things move. "What do your fellow compatriots know?"

Eustace shook his head. "They're studying the data and have no answer as of yet. The Captain's already aware of this."

Alistair shrugged with a sigh. "So much for going all the way there. I'd figure those wise guys would be able to tell something."

"It's been days. Far too optimistic to hope fast and correct answers. Regardless, I'll keep you updated when there's anything new."

"Thanks Eustace." Rosetta closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. He wasn't the only one having migraines of the moment then.

"The lower folks are relatively trustworthy. Those at the top are the ones to be careful of."

"Surprising how you feel about them considering you and the others are wielding their secrets."

"The Society has more secrets than I would know. Each and every bit of it is segregated and protected judiciously. However, this is something they don't know nor have they encountered it before," Eustace said.

"Such words you have for your boss."

"Same goes for any organization. It makes no difference."

Philosophia pointed out. "Maybe having Nicholas and his group get a second look would be useful? They've been touching a lot of interesting technologies like Robomi."

Altair hummed. "They work more on mechanical elements than living beings. I doubt they'll be able to give better insight than Society's specialists." Fremel island had numerous factories dedicated to metal crafts and sciences. Many abandoned and waiting for explorers to discover their secrets.

Sarunan hummed. "Rather than a science-based symptom, it could be a magical based problem. Ones even we don't know."

Alistair wagged his finger. "The ancient girl couldn't find out the source on that spectrum. I'd wager it's something else. Maybe even delusions that are beyond our understanding."

Cagliostro frowned at the harvin. The philosopher paused from the growing vibes of imminent death. "Oi, brat. Are you asking to die from the great magician?"

"Cagliostro. Enough." Altair put his book down. He wasn't the most influential but given how little. "He's not right or wrong. Just inconsequential observations." That prompted the harvin to huff.

The small girl pouted. "If only you guys would let me have some private moments with our Captain. Oh, what a tragedy it would've be."

Altair sighed. "No way. It's probably some sad excuse to make things weirder as it is."

"I'm a genius that lived for milennias, there is no problem I can't try to read." Cagligostro jabbed towards herself.

"Bring it on. You always have bright ideas."

"Of course, I have bright ideas. I'll make Gran a new body for him to use. Skips the problem entirely. Easy as cake."

"No thank you. I'm sure one genius is good enough. We don't need two."

Eustace stepped into the centre of the room. "Granted, a lot of this is wishful thinking but we need to work together for the Captain's sake." He gave lasting glances to Alistair and Cagliostro. "Even if we do not have agreeing opinions."

Cagliostro waved. "Sure, sure. So then, are we going to cut him open by any chance?"

A unanimous answer. "NO." Eustace shook his head and left the room. That prompted Cagliostro to hop out after the erune.

Altair rubbed his temple. "What a headache."

Rosetta reached for her cup of tea. "Arusha and Johann are continuing their search in the Archives. We'll probably hear from them in a few days before they might return."

Alistair hopped off the chair towards the door. "All this beating around the bush. What a pain."

Altair could relate. This problem was a hurdle without clear direction. Structure brings order. Order brings calm and balance. In times like this, he wished only to be able to read in peace.


	6. Melody of Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was more in store for Gran. An entire world built around them in a place out of reach except the rare few. There, he learns more of the present and future, even of the deadly battles of others.

_ **CHAPTER 6: Melody of Dreams** _

* * *

Gran had a dream. Blackness greeted his eyes. Turning around led him towards wet brimstone walls. Another dream in the cave. Purple fog dancing along the invisible floors.

_Where am I now? _He climbed to his rather he tried hands were bound by thick green vines. Likewise for his feet, anchored to points deep inside the fog. What happened? His mind was fraught with sharp echoing whispers. Gran pulled at the vines which wouldn't budge.

"Gran…" A familiar voice, mired in rumbling echoes. Cacophony of giggles in the air, growing closer with each moment.

"Who's there?" His question met with more giggling. Footsteps echoed in the cave. Light soft rapid taps. Behind, over his shoulder. He tried to crane over but couldn't get a glimpse.

"Gran." Her whisper into his ears.

"Lyria?"

She came into view and straddled him. Gran blinked. "What in skies are you doing?"

Something was wrong. Her eyes were glazed over. The smile, innocent yet twisted. Like thorns. Some form of mind magic? He couldn't recognise anything else that stood out. The smells of lilies were growing intoxicating. Overwhelming his other senses.

"You're being a bad boy, Gran." She licked his cheek. Hot breath down his neck. "It's time… for your punishment." Shivering chill down his spine.

Gran pulled back as far as he could. "Snap out of it Lyria. This isn't you." He reached within. Their bond was cold and empty. What had gone wrong? His resistance grew weaker as the smells threatened to consume him.

"Lyria…don't…" Sharp fangs bit into his neck. Spike of pain before being filled with bliss. Everything grew numb. Cold. Vision fading black from the edges. Before something burst to life. Blaze of warmth and energy coursing through his veins. Bright blue light behind him. Wind gusted across Gran's face. From a breeze into a storm. Another voice rumbled through the cavern. "Dispel!"

Lyria screamed before vanishing in a cloud of purple smoke. Gran coughed as the smell of lilies faded. The blue light vanished as well. "Fortunate for me to be here in time." Gran blinked to see his face upside down. Another copy of him, dressed in white immaculate uniform. Is that a bunny hat? "Nothing too shabby young lad. Up you go." Bunny Gran thumped his staff onto the ground, causing the vines to release him.

Gran rubbed his wrist as the warmth faded to weary. Bunny Gran raised his staff before chanting. "Veil." A magic coat enclosed around Gran. The weariness vanished. "That'll keep you protected from all the horrible magic around here."

"Why are you here?"

"That's quite an understatement. I never wanted to be here. After all, I'd fancy a cup of tea rather than meddle around with my kiddie form." The elder clapped onto his shoulder. "You'll grow stronger like one of us eventually Chap. That's how its always been." His eyes narrowed. "A Peeping Tom. Come out, whoever you are."

"Gran…" A small lithe girl peered out from a corner of rocks.

Gran recognised her. "Phoebe. Why are you here?"

"I didn't…" She shied her face away. "I saw that something bad was happening at your door and wanted to see if everything was okay. I'm sorry."

Bunny Gran hummed. "Ah, the primal of dreams. See there kiddo, you've already done well in having her in your crew." Was that a blush from the little girl? "Nevertheless, we've gotten rid of the problem at hand but not the source. How troublesome indeed it is."

Gran pointed at the swirling smoke. "What's the cause of all this?"

"Doctor wasn't too clear on it yet. Its clear that its magic from a strong evil being. Similar to the one that bounds all of us together. The tiny pieces still aren't clear as of yet. Though I have to admit this is one of the most dangerous incidents thus far."

"Incidents? There have been more of this?"

"Oh yesiree. Although they didn't end up in such compromising positions, hee hee."

"How do we deal with it?" Gran didn't want to get caught again in such a horrid position.

"Keep your mind calm and breathe easy. Protect yourself with Veil. Learn this spell from Seruel or the other healers, common as it goes. That'll keep you out of its hook for now until we find an answer."

Light speared through the clouds above. "Aha, best we be off now lads. I'd like to fancy my croquettes in peace."

Gran remained speechless as the light erased all and he woke up.

* * *

Gran was met with darkness. Still night time. He shot off the bed, dressed up and started out the door towards Phoebe's room. The rest of the corridor remained lit with tiny lamps, probably within the third quarter. Phoebe's room was four corridors away, reasonable distance but he met no one. When he knocked, there were no response. He rapped again. A pause before a muffled voice behind the door. Morphe opened the door with a groggy face.

"Morphe, where's Phoebe?" Gran asked.

"No idea. She left in a hurry, to think that she'd have to slam the door." Morphe yawned. "Is something wrong?"

"No, its fine. I'll find her for a private chat. Thanks." Gran sauntered off back towards the centre of the ship. Where should he search for her?

Dante should be manning the helm for the night shift. Phoebe was shy and probably wouldn't be there. The upper decks were more frequented by the night owls of the crew. Given what happened, he felt she wouldn't be open for random conversation. His feet took him across spots that came to mind. The galley was empty. So was the gym. Library was empty with clean tables. Grandcypher had many other places yet to be cleared and explored. Searching blind wouldn't be effective. Where would she go?

The darkest spot that she could hide from. An innocuous spot that people wouldn't think of going to at night. _There._

Grandcypher was one of the larger ships existing in the Sky realms. That included a humongous cargo hold, having almost half of the ship's size accommodated to it. Most of the cargo contained foodstuff and other necessary materials such as parts and accessories. Karteira would peruse the space to trade goods between islands. Her deals with Sierrokarte and other merchants were a major help to bring valuable funds to service the ship and crew. Optimistic as he was, Gran understood the logistics of reality and had to live with it.

Regardless, he opened the door to meet darkness. The glow from the lamp was a speck and revealed little of the dark. He left the lamp by the door, the light obtrusive to searching in the vast area. Crates stacked atop each other with plenty of space to go. He walked with caution to not bump into them. Soft steps in comparison to the groan of the ship against strong winds at the time. Most of the cargo had been stacked by the door with some of the other bigger machines like the Nightcypher.

There she was. A small shadow made by soft glows of light almost invisible behind several stack of crates. Gran inched forward, trying not to bump into the boxes and crates. Phoebe was on the floor, hunched up against the crate. She didn't notice him for staring at her hands in silence. He dropped to a knee before whispering. "Phoebe."

She jolted upright and snapped around. Her eyes were watering. "Gran! You scared me!" Her shock vanished into a wail. "I'm…I'm so sorry for intruding your dream like that."

Gran opened his hands and spread it out across him. "It's fine. Phoebe. I'm just glad that you're there. Who knows what would've happened if you weren't around." _Or him._

Phoebe shook her head. "So, what you've been saying has been true." The primal's sob started to fade. "That you've been seeing different versions of yourself."

Gran sat across her. "Yeah. I don't know exactly why it's happening. Though today was the first time where it went wrong." Without his other self's intervention, things could have gone worse.

"The Gallery of Dreams have been changing lately. Morphe and I don't know why. I thought of looking further into it alone despite…Morphe's protest."

Gran grinned with a thumbs up. "We could always help. We're a team." Whatever could be the problem, the crew as a whole can deal with it.

Phoebe cast her head down. "Maybe, but I didn't know when it would happen. Calling for help for nothing to happen…would be shameful." Gran relented on her reasoning. "Since it was related to your room. I was worried what was happening. That was why I…"

"It's alright Phoebe. The rest of us will understand. I'm glad that you cared. That you're here when we needed it." Her tears stopped before he reached out with a hand to brush one of her lingering tears. "Believe in yourself. Just as I do with you."

Phoebe's cheeks glowed a tinge of pink as he wrapped her hands with his. "Phoebe, will you help me?"

Her eyes grew wide from his words. The touch between their hands a little warmer and tighter. A small smile before nodding. "Yes."

* * *

_Breathe…_

_Hold._

_Count to Seven._

_Release._

Eustace exhaled in a slow, smooth steady motion. Meditation was meant to invigorate the mind. Provide calm and see beyond the box and perhaps find inspiration, or answers. In other times, it allows rest and the necessary respite to recover and continue to endure. Especially shenanigans from one particular troublesome girl.

Ten minutes daily was sufficient to persevere. Some missions did not offer luxury of time but thankfully those were quick to resolve. Stratomizer had been oiled and prepared for battle once again. There would be little else of errands to accomplish for the day. Perhaps today he should pursue on reading some of the books he borrowed from Altair. Fiction provided an interesting outlet and creative solutions to future situations.

The transceiver buzzed. He reached across the bed to the table and powered it on. Several flickers of static before the signal returned.

"Status."

"Operational. Travelling to Golonzo Island. No problems on our end. What's the verdict?" Eustace reached for the stack of document stuffed into a leather hemp bag.

_The eggheads haven't cracked the problem._

"If there's no information. Then why call?" Eustace pulled out the documents from the bag and laid it around him on the bed. Reports that dictated about Gran's analysis. He flipped the first page, glancing through the details.

_Part on getting your routine report, part courtesy to report progress to you. Meanwhile, how's the boy?_

"Alive and well. No change so far on his personality or physiology." Eustace moved to the next page, the data just beyond his comprehension. A lot of it related to the living aspects of a person, about the head in particular. That was the closest he could decipher.

_Any change in behaviour?_

"Confidence. Profound strength and skill. I have noticed he has spent sometime with Lyria on writing into their journal. I've heard its related to the dreams he's been having."

_Good on both counts. The data from the dreams would be nice to correlate some of our hypothesis. Think you could ask for it?_

Eustace huffed. Eggheads be eggheads. Lyria wouldn't mind sharing but she was a girl that deserves more privacy and protection from the Society. More damaging even if it could help Gran. "No. On the second note?"

_Positive upbringings at the moment means that whatever the boy has, it has yet to take full effect._

"Full effect? Explain."

_They haven't cracked anything but that's the initial assessment. Just like the girl in blue's own ability, it remains out of our comprehension at this time. Magic references and research had yet to yield anything of value. The more conspiratory ideas were farfetched ridiculous._

"Such as?"

_Implications of experimentation. Primal beast or other monsters. Worst case scenario pointing to the beings of the Moon._

"Impossible." There had been no such taint. He had spent months together with both of them in various scenarios. There have been no signs, not even now.

_Like I said, extreme speculation. Although we have no guarantee to prove otherwise. I hope it'll be something far simpler and safer for all of us lest one of mankind's greatest asset become its own doom._

"How long do we have?"

_For now, not a clue._

Eustace hated those words. "Keep me posted." He shut off the transceiver and wondered how he would get rid of the distasteful feeling inside his gut.

* * *

Another dream, another memory. This one in the deepest depths of pandemonium. Cries of man and monster as battle waged on in the orange skies.

Grandcypher was the flagship, leading a fleet of two dozen ships into Pandemonium. Gunfire and explosions rattled the ship in a sombre timbre of death's orchestra. The ship remained undaunted, continuing forward with dominance of human pride. Its crew were across all parts of the ship, fighting off the Cherubs which swarmed the fleet in countless numbers. Others less combat-abled rushed about to repair damage on the ship or treat the wounded.

Gran watched himself standing beside the helm as Rackam deftly guided the ship through the field of floating rocks. Their target was in sight now. The black shape that matched the ship's size. Avatar.

Society ships surged forward and to the side, clearing the way with their heavy gun batteries. Other skyfarer ships from the nearby kingdoms held the inner ring, less armed but equally effective against the swarm. Rackam grunted, struggling to keep the wheel steady.

"Gran, this is your time. Beat it with everything you got!" Gran watched himself move to the bow of the ship. He was in the silk robes. Being ingrained in the same body, he understood the full reach of his alternate's power. A wielder of the blades and the one to bring out their maximum potential.

_Glory is won not in isolation; honour revels not in ego._

The blade's spirit remained calm against the enormous threat at hand. Gran raised the sword. "Ridill. Hear my words. Bring justice and righteous fury onto those that sought against it. Wield thy honour and my devotion to protect those in need. Awaken and reveal your true power."

Ridill responded, its hilt burning a bright glow of yellow into a spark of thunder rumbled across the area. The yellow guard flared open, flushing draconic magics flowed through him, propelling him to greater heights.

The primal beast was monstrous compared to his size. Yet it mattered little for Gran whom mastered the arts of the white dragon. A single leap was enough to have him soar between ships. He heard some unsightly words.

"Come on you maggots! We will clear the way for Gran and his team to rid that sorry ass monster right in front of us!"

Gran leapt off as the Cherub swarm was kept in check. Avatar reeled back, distracted by a powerful disintegration bomb from Clarisse. Gran raised his blade, his robes fluttering in the wind. He drew black blood along its shoulder. His feet touched hard flesh and a pivot of the toes drew a cut onto Avatar's cheek. Success before leaping above from being swatted by huge hands.

Small as he is, Gran strummed up a dance of light along black canvas of evil flesh. Echoes hummed from the blade with every strike. A visible afterimage with the arts of steel. Avatar's grip would not touch him. One step ahead, the direction clear in his mind.

Each swing wielded honour.

Each step carried purpose.

Following the dance along the music of the wind.

Battle drummed along the blade's edge.

No place out of reach.

Bringing upon light by a thousand cuts.

The loud screech of the behemoth was mute, the ringing of the blade's strum continuous and protective. Revealing what needs to be heard. Such as the one particular drill sergeant.

"Load AP! HE! Fire everything into that beast!" Gran leapt away as the Society fleet unleashed bombardment. Perfect timing onto the Grandcypher as Avatar reeked from constant blows. It gave him a moment to observe. Yes, the regeneration is slowing down. It's taking damage beyond what it could endure.

"It's hurt! Not long to go!" Vryn cheered on.

Avatar screeched. It put its hands together, forming a dark ball. Immense power raged from the growing mass of lethal matter.

"That's totally a big problem right there!" Eugen called in the midst of firing his rifle.

Gran bit his lip. That amount of power would be doomsday for everyone. Growing larger by the second, there's no way to dodge it being this close. He put Ridill aside and strode forward to the tip of the ship. He stretched his hand aside and called. Ten heartbeats.

"Rackam, get all the ships behind the Grandcypher!" He braced himself against the bowsprit. Six heartbeats.

Avatar raised the ball over its head, its size overshadowing it several times over. Four heartbeats.

"How the hell are we going to stop that?" Mary's voice echoed in the group fending off the Cherubs. _Focus on the beats._

Three, Two, One. It came into his grip. The familiar red coated metal. He gave care not to touch the spiked guards. A roaming energy coursed through the blade, fighting to free itself from his grip. Gran tightened around the sword, soothing its devoted fury against enemies of blight.

This blade was difficult to wield, born from the darkest substances of magic and death before sanctified by holy magic. As such, it carried a name beholden upon it. The Sword of Renounciation.

He raised the blade to eye level. "Hear my words. Awaken and shield those against forces of evil." The long blade flared to life, fiery glow along the length of its hilt. A swing of the blade forged a shield, encompassing the entire expedition fleet.

Avatar tossed destruction. Sparks burned as pain ruptured. The shield battered and cracked. Forcing power through the barrier despite it wouldn't last. Blood trickled down his lips. Nerves ablaze. The sheer feedback was excruciating. "Gah." Holding the blade steady was growing difficult.

Another shield formed atop of his. "You're not alone Gran!" Lily spun her staff before crying out in pain. His burden was lifted by a little.

"We're with you Captain!" Naoise raised his shield. "Rifter Shield!" Several other energy shields coated atop of Gran's own.

"We shoulder our burdens together!" Baotarda stepped up alongside, raising his own shield to soak the blow. "Noble Sacrifice!"

"Noblesse Oblige!" Gawain stepped up to the fray. "You're not allowed to get ahead of me like that Captain. Very unbecoming of you!"

The burn against him had subsided to more bearable levels. The Doomsday bomb persisted against the shield with no sign of abating. Which would break, it or them?

Lowain screamed over the back. "It's going to be not enough yo. Totally not enough to beat that hunk of goo!"

"Well, get more hands on that then!" Almeida yelled, swinging her large axe at the persistent cherubs.

Katalina yelled through the noise. "Rackam! Pull us away from that thing!"

"Not enough time for that Katalina! Hold on Gran!"

The sword had stopped resisting him, trying to hold against the aggressor. Yet the burn in his fingers remained to abate. Muscles cramping from holding against the rattling blade. His elbows were buckling despite the lighter load. Gran sensed two figures landing behind. "Singularity. We apologise for the delay. Those cherubs have been troublesome."

"Nothing too fancy Alexiel, Athena. Extra help always appreciated." Gran breathed and it hurt. Two red shields shot forward before lining up in front of his own.

"Uncrossable Realm!"

"Aigis!"

The load subsided significantly. Doomsday's edges were fading out. Yes, it's weakening against the barrier. Just a little longer. "Sanctuary Fountain of the everlasting, pour and heal and rejuvenate thy wounds."

Pain all but vanished. Weight on his shoulders lifted far easier. Gran stood straighter. Grip tightened better to holding onto the fractured barrier.

Gran turned over his shoulder. "Many thanks Europa." The beauty floating in the air smiled in response before drawing a wave of water surrounding herself and spraying it as a spiral flood against the bomb. Society ships and the rest of the crew fired at the Doomsday, drawing more deathly power away.

They can hold. They will hold against Avatar's mighty Doomsday. Now he trusted upon others to prepare the counter. Gran turned over his shoulder. "Sandalphon, pPrepare yourself to strike back!"

Supreme Primarch Sandalphon flared his multiple wings. Rainbow patterns of light glowed, brightening to a firestorm. "Of course, Singularity! I will go all out to obliterate this monstrosity!"

"Wait for my signal!" Doomsday was fizzling out. Avatar screeched, continuing to feed power onto the bomb. The shield, cracked in multiple places held on. Patched by pieces and magics of multiple others. Grandcypher pushed against Doomsday, drawing closer to the Avatar. Sandalphon standing at the ship's mast, sharp tuning of magics honed in the gifts blessed by the Primarchs.

_The right moment! _Black fizzled lowered his blade, dispersing the shield. "Now!"

"Ain Soph Aur!" Rainbow beams rain havoc. Fury of man, primarchs and the redeemer burned flesh. Screams of pain. That blow had drained the monster well. Its regeneration had stopped completely. The moment they've been waiting for. Little time to spare before it could regenerate.

"Take this!" Sandalphon vanished before emerging at Avatar's chest. Six heavy blows cut through the monster's chest, revealing a glowing yellow orb. Avatar swung, smashing Sandalphon away from reach. He yelled. "The core's exposed! Go!"

"Boost me!" Gran sprinted towards the end. Wind magics coated around him as he leapt. Shooting forward like a bullet. Rings of fire circled around him, fuelling him with might. Avatar screeched as Gran turned from living being into a flying bullet.

"Heed my words. Bring power and balance to this realm. Apocalyptic Messiah!" Gran thrust his blade towards the yellow pulsing core. Impact. Crack of glass before complete shatter. Gran burst through the other side as Avatar screams continued to echo. Gran saw the world fade, before he knew it was over.

* * *

Gran stared at the ceiling in his cabin from the comforts of bed. Glorybringer's dream was intense, one of the hardest battles in his past. Gran clasped his hand tight. He could feel the invisible aches from wielding such pain. These dreams weren't what he was supposed to see or feel. Now they were occurring more often. Almost every other night in contrast to once every four to five days. Gran ought to figure out how to fix it. Or at the least to control it.

It became a question. How? The dreams would come without fail. Perhaps, just perhaps he should go to the source. The other Gran's themselves. Each time he used his ability, it was dependent on a need. The best fit would reach out in return. This time perhaps, could he just ask upon a different choice?

"Soul." He hissed.

Something clicked. Magic started to course through his veins. He could feel the warmth of fire magic before it changed into the tantalising and soothing synergy of the wind. Strength filled within his muscles. No. There is no need to fight. Calm. Peace. Serenity. He closed his eyes. Reach out with his invisible hand and call to it.

"Sync."

Silence. Vertigo before nothing. Gran opened his eyes to see a silver ceiling. Bright, shining with a warm glow that doesn't hurt the eye. He felt soft fabric under his finger tips. Fluffy bed with bright blue sheets of silks. More lights mounted into the sides of the ceiling, emitting soft glows. Sterile smell of antiseptic. Cold soft hum through said ceiling. Wooden desk beside the bed with several packs of modern parchment and stationery. The walls were painted a metallic silver. A wooden door, the only way in and out. He got up and twisted the knob. It was unlocked and he stepped out into a long corridor.

Silver metallic across the area with the same type of lights. More doors on both sides of the corridor's length. Enough to fit a dozen rooms. Gran had two choices. One led towards a corner, the other towards an open area with glass walls.

Gran chose the open area. He wagered there was more to learn on this path. His room was within the middle of the corridor. The cold humming was louder above him. Riddled along the corridor's tiles of floors were tiny plants. Small white lilies planted in neat and even intervals. Gran took a knee and reached out towards one. Plucking it from the place. It was live and fresh. Watered just recently too. Keeping it in his pocket, he moved on. Each door he passed had a name tagged to it. Though they were strange names. Kengo. Glorybringer. Warlock.

He approached to what appeared to be the base of a spire. One that spiralled up beyond the roof and towards something he couldn't see. The wall had opaque glass that turned clear as he approached it. A vast sea of blue. The world outside revealed unto him. The sea bed with corals and small schools of fishes. He looked up to see the muted reflections of light from above.

Gran took in the surrounding view. To his left was a series of steps that reached another level and then following the spire. To his right were several benches and a small table made of wood. A single book rested on the table. Gran walked towards it and picked it up.

_Understanding Human Anatomy. _What kind of book is this? He flipped the first page open.

"Huh, you're finally here for once. Glad that meant some progress." Voice above him. Gran looked up to see a familiar face walking down the steps. Bunny Gran grinned. "Welcome to Hell." Gran blinked. "Just kidding, right then. Just got here?"

Gran nodded. "Where is this place?" He heard word about dreams reliving worlds that he had experienced. But here, he had never seen any of this. All of it felt alien.

Bunny Gran pointed beyond the spire. "Never understood this place. Come with me. There's someone to meet." Gran followed the Bunny Gran on a short trek up the steps towards the top of the spire. Up here, the view was breathtaking.

An entire dome with transparent glass. Revealing more of the undersea world. Gran watched a huge fish gently swimming near the water's surface. A cry that echoed against glass. One that spoke of life. More schools of fish would have caught his attention for minutes if he didn't notice.

Plastered on one side of the dome were curved tables and desks. Machines atop them that he recognised bits and glimpses from Nicholas' lab. There another Gran in a white coat was hard at work. Unflinching and focused on some tool. Bunny Gran gave the man a hard slap on the back. "Have you managed to solve the puzzle yet?"

The other Gran grunted before backing away from the device. "For the love of the sky, I'm a doctor, not a scientist. You should ask the actual magic experts. In bloody fact, you're one of them."

"Well, healing magic is my thing. All this exploration stuff is totally out of my head." Bunny Gran turned around and gestured. "Now then, meet Doctor. Edgy guy but friendly."

Doctor rubbed the ridge of his nose. "You'd go insane if you have to live with this sage. Honestly I wonder how his crew managed with his antics."

"Plenty of tea and croquettes." Sage grinned. "So, where's Glory and John Doe?"

"John's probably in some forest, eating some insects or snakes for breakfast. As for Glory, he hasn't returned for a while. I'm surprised that you're even here considering you were in a tight situation."

"It was a pickling problem but guess we made it out alright. Haha."

Gran noticed Doctor closing his eyes. _Probably choosing between ignoring or killing him._ Gran turned around to get a better feel of the place. Machines on the table were clicking and emitting noises, similar to ones he heard before. "How many of us are there?"

Doctor shook his head. "At least a dozen, though probably more than we know. All of them with different histories and specialisations."

Sage cheered. "That's why we call each other by our classes instead. Makes a lot easier than finding out which Gran you mean right? I mean, there's Gran and then there's Gran."

Gran felt apprehensive. The names made sense now. More of him out there in their own worlds. To imagine there were this many of him, was both surprising and troubling. He asked the important bit. "Where is this place? Why are we here?"

Doctor sighed before placing a palm to his face. "Two questions. Why does everyone have two questions?"

Sage grinned. "I had three." That prompted the doctor to flick the finger.

The Doctor's face was twisted, flickering between rage and indignation. A sigh before the man continued. "First, this place is like the central apex that links all our realities together in some form. Although I admit that's just a guess at this point." Doctor manipulated the controls. The globe in the centre transformed into an image. A hologram like the ones Nicholas had in their workshop. "Why we're here remains to be seen but I've managed with some help to make some hypothesis relating to Akasha and its ability to manipulate reality and fate. Though I have yet to prove it."

"Didn't Lyria seal Akasha's abilities?" Gran recalled the difficult battle at Agastia. It took everything they had to beat the primal beast into submission.

"That is correct, for the worlds we know thus far. Though, all it needs is just one."

"How long have you been here?"

Doctor cracked his knuckles. "In this place, its relative but since the beginning of these incidents, it'd be about six months."

"Six months, it's been so long. Why am I here only now?"

Sage shrugged. "Beats me, ask the Doc."

Doctor sighed again. "I swear I'm going to mollify you when all this is over."

"Aw, don't be that way chap. That's too sweet of you."

"Anyway, not all of us arrived at the same time. I was the first and then more of us started arriving across the coming months. You just happen to be our newest, and youngest version so far," Doctor said.

All of them were older than him. _Then perhaps. _"Have you found Estalucia yet? Have you met Dad?" Both of them shook their heads. "It's been years isn't it? How long have you guys been searching for Dad?" Gran asked.

Their expressions fell sullen. Sage was the first to speak. "Many."

"Far too many." Doctor added.

In a second, Sage brightened up with a smile. "Well, each of us have their own journey to follow. Sometimes its longer than we thought, that's all."

Doctor chuckled. "All that matters is meeting Dad after all."

"And a big loving fist to the face while at it."

Gran asked the next question. "What is your-"

The door busted open. "Ora, Ora! Look whom I've found!" Another Gran appeared, one wearing…a bear pelt atop his head. He strode out, wielding a humongous looking axe in shiny plate armour. Each footstep clinked against the floor tile, appearing to bend ever so little from the weight. Bear Gran gestured to the door and towards himself "Come on you two." Two small shapes peeked out through the door from the spire.

Gran recognised the two. "Phoebe, Morphe."

Sage whistled. "Ah, dream girl's here too. She's a rare bunch."

"We thought it was you in the armour." Morphe said, his eyes scanning across the room. "How strange it is to see so many…"

"Of us?" Doctor hummed. "Happens every time. Now then, why are you here?"

Phoebe glanced around at the few copies of Gran. "I came, to help."

Good girl." Doctor nodded. "Better than this cheeky one next to me that always eat my snacks." Sage whistled in comical jest. "With your abilities, I'll be able to work out some experiments, find the limits of this place and finally find an answer to this entire mess." Little Phoebe beamed with a nod.

"I'll miss you though after everything." Sage cheeked in. That just prompted the doctor to start an orchestra of curses which prompted the others to burst out laughing.

The amusement pulled Doctor to a stop before he sighed. "God damn it." _Poor Doctor._

* * *

Author's Notes: Thank you for reading Within your Soul. This chapter is where I begun to work off in depth to the other Grans. Reflecting on how to work the interactions and the investigation arcs from the various field. Sometimes though I feel I've been giving Rosetta and Eustace a bit too much work. Dibs if you manage to get the reference of this new place. :P.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: Thank you for reading Within your Soul. This chapter is where I begun to work off in depth to the other Grans. Reflecting on how to work the interactions and the investigation arcs from the various field. Sometimes though I feel I’ve been giving Rosetta and Eustace a bit too much work. Dibs if you manage to get the reference of this new place. :P.


	7. Past & Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lead to their mysterious phenomenon was found, across far flung skies to the edges of known space. Gran and the crew travel through great adversity to meet a dangerous foe.

_ **CHAPTER 7: Past & Present** _

* * *

Gran returned to the real world. This would be the third time he arrived to the Silver Sanctum. A name proclaimed by the Holy Saber. He found it fitting with the silver walls and blue sea backdrop. Morphe and Phoebe was able to help him get there without a hitch thanks to their excellent herbal teas. Colour him surprised to think that there were so many versions of him out there. Multiple worlds and realities with different classes. Though there was one rule agreed upon by the group.

No Gran shall ever ask each other about their past. No matter what situation besieged them. They didn't tell him why but suspicion grew onto him. About avoiding contradictions and minimising effect across each other worlds. A bit far off but nobody said it was wrong.

Doctor gave instructions to help out with finding the source. Checking between places in their realities for key differences and the like. Gran was given the Lumacie Archipelago. Sage was rather downcast of doing such quest. About it being too boring but the ultimatum was thrown in. Words going about like.

"Death by dissection or ripping your limbs piece by piece. Your choice." That prompted Sage to give up pranking the Doc. Though Gran felt it wouldn't be for long. The other Grans were rather jaded by such antics. Doc also went on a tangent about asking their respective crew's magic and science experts to contribute on researching in whichever world they were in. All in all, a solid plan.

When his crew heard about the story, he had expected the others to be more pessimistic about believing him. Multiple realities existing with all different histories? Hard topic to digest, even for himself until he seen it.

"Oho Captain, interesting facts you have there." Soriz said. That would be one of the most common responses he received from the rest of the crew later on. For the moment, it was just several of them around in the galley.

"Captain's always been in the most interesting situations so far." Eugen chuckled.

"Nothing has gone wrong following the Captain. I'll trust on that front." Rackam nodded.

"That's the way it is! Besides, more worlds out there mean more beauties exist! I'm all welcome for that!"

Katalina frowned. "Soriz, you're going down a rabbit hole." His response was to bark in laughter.

Cagliostro leaned close into Gran's space. "How was me on the other side? Was I just as cute?"

"Yeah, was I like a big huge dragon?" Vryn flapped his wings in anticipation.

Gran shook his head, having not be able to see other worlds. He told them to which Cagligostro deflated. "What a bummer." She then made frantic waves at him. "Make sure you find my alternate self over there when you get a chance!" Gran didn't want to tell that he wouldn't have the chance and just said.

"Okay…"

That calmed the magician down before coughing. "Well, knowing my other self. I'm sure she'll work on deriving the dream realm to identify core points. Therefore, I shall search into finding the way to identify the differences between the various magics used to this one."

Gran nodded. "I'll probably be meeting them daily with Morphe and Phoebe." That got him a face full of Cagliostro's ire.

"Take me along too! I definitely want to see what you look like when you're older ahahaha." Cagliostro grinned ear to ear. "Also, does a dream kiss count in the real world?"

Gran chuckled as Katalina sighed. "Let's not go that way. I'm sure there's enough attention on Gran as it is."

"Captain, a private word if you may." Eustace said.

"The rest of us should know about it if its related to our Captain." Katalina raised. Several others murmured agreements.

Eustace sighed before saying. "I'll be straight to the point then. The Society hasn't been able to find anything useful as of late. However, they are worried that Gran is under dangerous influence. Do you feel anything strange?"

Gran shook his head. "No. Nothing strange. Anything particular I should be look for?"

Katalina raised a brow. "Are you serious Eustace? Those are dangerous ideas."

Vryn huffed with pride. "That's right. We'd see anything like that way ahead of time. I know Gran like the back of my paws after all."

"That's their prerogative, not mine. Regardless, they advise to keep an open eye for now. They don't have specifics but I'd wager that you'll recognise it if it ever does."

"What do you mean when you say dangerous influence?" Rackam asked.

"The influence we're referring too relates to enemies beyond the islands. Like the situation about Grynoth."

Io balked. "Geh, I hated that monster for refusing to fall down and give up."

Rackam shook his head. "Tough sob that one it is, short squirt." That prompted Io to rattle off against the helmsman.

Gran bit his lip. That monster had nearly wiped out the crew in that fight single handed. "Alright Eustace. I'll take your word for it."

"Good. I'd hate to have more enemies than necessary."

Soriz gave a hard slap to Eustace's back. "Come on, we'll be fine. We're quite macho and awesome after all. Gran agreed with the sentiments right there. Likewise of the rest of them.

"Let's keep the optimism strong then."

* * *

"We have a lead." Doctor said. That caught everyone's attention in the auditorium after four days of intense scrutiny.

Doctor pointed onto the map in the centre of the room. The glowing hologram expanded out into large constellation of white dots. Gran glanced around the room. His other selves were rather calm. Unlike him, feeling a bit edged out. This time, he met a few new versions of himself. One walking around half naked with a long knife strapped to his waist. Another wielding a spear in robes with long armbands. The one wearing a mask was rather strange in that weird getup.

He didn't have the opportunity to talk to them yet. Though first impressions were pointing out their strength. The same pool of power that he likewise was using.

"Something now eh." Glorybringer flexed his arm. "I've been missing out on everything. What do we have?"

"Not really unless you meant the pranks I've been planting around here."

"So that was you." Doctor hissed.

"Yup." Sage gave a toothy smile. That prompted an explosive tirade of swears and curses. So much that the room turned dreadful silent. Gran blinked at how much of coarse language he'd learn. A moment of curiosity before being met with a desire to better not know about it. After what was several passages of inappropriate wordings, the Doctor heaved for breath.

"Doctor, back to topic." Glorybringer waved.

Doctor sighed before turning back to the display. "Not welcome distraction. Anyhow, given some discussion with Warlock, Phoebe and the Cagliostros, we managed to identify a pivot point that coincides with all our realities."

Doctor tapped the controls, revealing a brown parchment. Gran recognised part of the sky map with the other listed as the Nalhegrande Skydom. "Memorise this map. It'll show you the way to the island."

"Woah there Doc. That's pretty far off to the edges of the skydom." Far southeast beyond Gran had explored at current time. Similar murmurs of agreement.

"Data still points true to that location. Six-point level accuracy and as such I wouldn't doubt it. I suppose nobody amongst us has been there yet." All nods. "That makes it even more probable for it to be there."

"So, what do we do when we get there? Break whatever it is to bits?" Chrysaur raised a brow.

"Preferably not the first action in mind. There should be an activation key to whatever this device is. I believe Lyria in our realms will carry it. Or at the least know what to do with it once we get there. Otherwise we'll play by ear."

Chrysaur raised a hand. "Anything we should know, like surprises and such?"

"I have no freaking clue there." Doctor shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "Be on guard. Whatever is causing this probably isn't friendly to begin with."

"Very well, gozaru. It shall be done. My time is up. Until then." Kengo nodded before vanishing in a flash of light.

"Well Doc, you going to work hard at it again? Sometimes a man needs a break. I can bring you nice bunny girls if you want." The reply was the rude gesture. "As expected, catch you later…" The sage vanished.

The rest disappeared with more calm. In moments, it was him and the Doctor. Gran didn't feel the need to leave. Or rather that he couldn't control his exit yet. Morphe and Phoebe would come pick him up somehow when the time is right.

The doctor sighed. Pushing aside the projector before settling down onto a chair where the desk was cluttered with papers. Gran watched the man shuffling through papers. A side glance before saying. "Aren't you going?"

"I'm…waiting on it. What about you? You don't look like you are either."

Doctor shook his head, rummaging through the clutter before arranging it into neat piles. "Yeah, there's so much work to do. I'd love to enjoy a nice sauna with some friends. Not that I have a choice though."

Gran stepped closer to the doctor. "What happened?"

Doctor paused. Then he broke the silence. "Back in my reality, I was experimenting with some stuff. Alchemy and some medicines to try to work a stronger healing brew that could work better in combat. I added a bit too much of some stuff and I'm now stuck asleep since then."

"Maybe Phoebe can bring you back if you need to."

"Not possible. I've been looking into it on some free time when I'm not cracking my head over this stupid phenomenon. Odds are that I can't go back, at least until this is resolved. That's all I can tell you." A shrug from the doc, looking weary and exhausted. "Sucks to be here eh. Sometimes I wonder if the crew are still waiting on me. I'll probably giving them quite a time of grief."

Gran placed a hand on Doctor's shoulder. "We'll get to the bottom of this. That's for sure." He noticed a soft white glow by the door. They're here.

"Thanks. That's why I liked you the best. Youthful optimism. Keep it strong, Gran. It'll be one of your best tools." The door opened, revealing the warm light. "Your turn to go. Don't let your crew wait on you."

Gran nodded and reached for the door, returning to his reality.

* * *

Gran felt the full force of the winds, gripping hard onto the handle to hold himself steady against the torrent of air. Grandcypher's sails billowed under the great turbulence. Despite its massive size, the ship was struggling to stay steady on course. Rackam fought the controls tooth and nail to keep going the way they needed to be. Rackam clicked his tongue. "What the heck are these kinds of winds? These aren't normal turbulence at all."

Gran kept eyes forward, scanning for the target. They've travelled deep enough out of the sky's edge to this place. Days away from the nearest civilization. Most of the crew were below but he noticed others like Nezahualpilli perched on the mast, eyes like a hawk. Eugen was further back in the engine room, sorting out the output for the propellers in sync with the helmsman.

Katalina strode up to Rackam's side. "If my gut feeling tells me right, we're heading in the right direction."

"Strange place, strange winds, better not be more strange things." Rackam retorted, grunting against the ship's wheel.

"Even stranger to think that we're following information from another Gran. Though given what we've experienced, it won't be the weirdest thing of all."

Io perched her staff against the gaps of the balustrade. "My head's already spinning since the start. Don't make it worse." Lyria settled next to her and gave a head rub. "Ah! no nogging around!"

Gran looked around. The pressure was starting to dwindle. Grandcypher pushed through a cloud, feeling cold wet air through his skin. He rubbed away the moist as the ship burst through into calmer air.

Rackam let go of the wheel with a sigh of relief. "Finally, the winds are clearing out." He pointed to the right. "There is an island here after all. Who would think of that?"

They couldn't see it earlier thanks to the group of clouds blocking the way. An island comprising a lot of rock, sand and dunes. Some trees in the mix below the base of a tall mountain. As a whole, it wasn't a large island but big enough to hide many things. Dark clouds raking above the island with streaks of lightning.

Gran pointed. "That's the place." His senses were tingling. Enticing him to go there as soon as possible. He clamped it down before saying. "Get us close."

Lyria joined his side. "It feels strange. Like there's something hanging over there." Gran couldn't feel the same sensation but held her hand and gave an assuring squeeze.

The winds began to pick up again as the ship approached the island. Rackam whistled. "Geez, finding a place to land here is tricky." Gran had to agree with the helmsman. Most of the sides were cliffs, angled downwards and not ideal for a landing.

"Over there." Katalina pointed towards the front of the ship. "That spot looks like a place big enough to hold most of the ship. Can we use the trees?"

"The winds are tough so I'll need some of us to get anchors ready." Rackam called before pointing. "Yeah, those trees will do the trick." Eugen nodded and corralled some of the crew to help out. The Grandcypher buckled under the wind, its powerful rotors fighting against the tide. Gran noticed the ground inching closer with each passing second.

Walder and Ryan hopped off the side onto the ground. Some wind magic to help out and the anchors were sent flying to hit the ground at a safe spot. They lugged it one by one, hooking it onto the thickest of trees. Ippatsu and Ezecrain joined the fray, spiking extra anchors into the ground through small gaps in the chains.

Rackam eased the ship a bit more before landing with a soft thump. He shut the engines before tugging at the chains. "The Grandcypher's will be fine as long the winds don't pick up." Gran nodded as Ladiva settled the long plank along the side as a ramp. Gran traded nods as they went down the ramp.

Lyria, Katalina, Eugen, Io, Rosetta and Rackam. Seven of them will be leading the expedition on the mysterious island.

"Captain, do you guys need more hands?" Charlotta waved from the top of the ship.

Gran shook his head. "No, we should be able to handle anything that comes our way. I trust you guys to keep the ship safe." He pointed at a flock of wyverns flying in the distance. "Those might be trouble. We'll be back soon." Gran turned to his team. "Come, let's go."

When he thought the winds earlier were bad, here they were typhoons. Billowing hard enough to tempt blowing them off their feet. Some leaves snapped and caught onto them. Thankfully nothing larger and more dangerous.

"Phew, this is quite a breeze. I hope Alec would reinforce those anchors or we might not have a ride back later."

"Let's get inland. The winds will probably lessen the deeper we go." All agreed, picking up the pace through the forest. The wind died down significantly under the green shade. Wind behind them, it was down to getting towards their objective. Gran felt a churn in his stomach. He'd never been here before.

_Then why does it feel so familiar?_

Beyond the forest clearing was brown sand. Desert that stretched a reasonable distance before the far edges of flat open plains. The air here was calm in contrast to the island's edge. Mountains looming in the dark gloom in the backdrop. All of it was too eerie for him. Egging him to go forward and hurry towards it.

"Where would we find this place? This island is decent sized to begin with."

Lyria pointed towards the mountain range. "Over there behind the mountains. I can feel it." Io and Rosetta closed their eyes for a breath's moment before nodding.

Rackam whistled. "Call it funny how easy it is to find it."

Eugen checked his rifle. "Honestly, I have a bad feeling about this."

Rackam drew his own weapon. "Tell me about it. The storm's growing worse and -" Thunder struck. "That too, hopefully Lightning boy can keep it off the Grandcypher."

Katalina chuckled. "He won't like you calling him that. Let's go, we have a long way." Rackam shrugged as Vryn giggled from the reference. They started the hike.

For a while, the trek through the desert was calm. He'd spot a few animals burrowing into the sand before winds started to pick up again. Gran kept his mouth shut and hand around his eyes. The sands were brewing well in the storm. They picked up the pace, soldiering through the dune. With the dark cloud, he couldn't tell how much time had passed. He'd guess for it to be a few hours but the sands have been distracting.

"We're getting nearer to the source," Rosetta said. The winds calmed down as they took shelter under the mountain's tall ridges.

Io fluffed her dress, throwing a small brown cloud everywhere. "Thank skies. I've had enough of all that sand."

Vryn broke free from Katalina's cloak before flapping his wings in a huff. "That's right. It's really a messy place. Blegh."

Gran bit down the anticipation growing behind his lips. Hungry. Waiting for him. Ripe for the taking.

Lyria pointed further down alongside the mountain range. They walked on as Gran watched the rockface. They oozed illness. For all remained too familiar. He mentioned it but the others didn't understand much. He left it be but the black pit grew in his gut and kept on going. The walk wasn't long and they found it. It was a complete surprise. He'd imagine a shrine. A temple. A library or archives. Magical circle. These he had seen before in obscure places.

But this, this wasn't what he expected.

* * *

The beast loomed over them. Feathery skin and scaly fins to its side. The long filament tail with deep bones and scars into its ribs. Elongated neck that twisted its deep black eyes. Familiar eyes that burned with rage.

Rosetta broke the silence. "Akasha. What is it doing here?"

"It's strange." Lyria reached out her magic. "It feels very wrong." Gran noticed the strangeness. Its original white skin replaced with black and patches of purple.

Lyria bit her lip before grunting. "It's… filled with malice. So much hate. It's scary."

Rackam raised his gun. "Then let's fix it by taking it out." He fired a shot. A sharp crack to hit metal. The bullet clattered to the ground. A large blade that reached towards a long staff. No, a scythe.

The perpetrator emerged behind a rock. "My, what manners you guys have." Gran couldn't believe his eyes. It wasn't possible. How could be seeing the same guy he met in his dreams right here? The other Gran leaned forward, dragging his feet across the sand in a bow. "Thank you for welcoming me to your world. It's been quite a trip."

Lyria pressed a hand to her mouth. "That's…Gran."

Rosetta narrowed her eyes at the sight. "It's not him. Stay on guard."

"Oh Rosie, how could you say such thing?" The man grinned. One filled with such contempt that would have filled the entire room. "You do know that we had some good times together. Especially on the bed, those were refreshing moments."

"I know no such thing." Rosetta glared.

"Of course, the one in this place is much more docile." He jabbed a finger towards himself. "As for me, I'm not. I take what I need." Dark Gran stepped off the altar. "I see you haven't introduced me to your fellow crew. What a pity for them to be shocked by my entry. Would be great to have a nice session of rum. Alas, looks like everyone's not interested."

"Where the hell's your crew?" Eugen yelled; gun raised.

"You're looking at the crew. Just sweet little me."

"The heck, where's Lyria? You can't survive without her." Katalina narrowed her eyes.

Dark Gran jabbed to his chest. "Well, she is kind of here. Her heart that is."

Io gasped, drawing Gran's attention to Lyria's silence. Her expression was frozen. Complete stun. He grabbed her arm and squeezed, drawing her back to the fray.

"What kind of crazy guy would do such a thing?" Vryn flapped his wings.

"How sickening to hear that." Rosetta said alongside similar agreements.

The Grim Reaper shrugged. "Don't blame me for it. Better for one to survive than both of us to die. I had no choice on that matter, really."

Gran pointed at the raging primal beast. "Why are you here? Why did you turn Akasha in your world evil?"

His alter raised a brow. "Evil is not an absolute. They are always relative to the need and urgency."

"So says the one that looks like the Grim Reaper." Rackam quipped.

"So says the one that had died in my world. What a pity you were, death by explosive fire." A smug on Dark Gran's lips. "You were with so attached to Grandcypher that you decide to go down with it. That's some dedication I tell you."

"Why you…" Rackam raised his gun but withheld shooting. Only just.

Dark Gran shook his head with gleaming eyes. "Tut, tut, tut. Is that a way to treat your former captain?"

"You are no captain of ours." Io glared.

"That's right. You may look like Gran but you definitely aren't like him!" Vryn huffed.

"But it remains fact that I am Gran." The two selves met eye to eye. "You are I and I am you."

"As for why am I here? It's simple. I needed power. Lots of it to continue the war."

"The Empire won. Kingdoms taken over and subjugated. Most of my crew dead or imprisoned. The Grandcypher destroyed, what else am I left with? Nothing but this transformed body of mine. Despite so, we persisted in the resistance. I did many deeds that were distasteful. Being on the lowest of lows, forcing through evil for the greater good. After all that I've done, it'd be a waste to not reap the rewards, even if its not for my sake."

Dark Gran stepped side to side, always a smile on his face. "Akasha wielded the power to changing fate. However, on its own, the primal beast would need fifty years to work its magic. By then it'd be too late for all of us."

"So, I used Lyria's ability to understand it. What a wonderful insight to understand the multiverse. A plateau of realities with various histories and lives. Power which I could siphon to achieve my reality." Dark Gran shook his head. "To think that my beloved Rosie and Io had the galls to try to stop me from using Akasha. Despite all that we've endured. What a pity that I had to pierce through your hearts."

Io's glare faltered at the thought before Rosetta placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thus, I am here."

Gran narrowed his eyes. "You shouldn't be here. Go back to where you belong."

"You have something I want. Something I need to change everything." Dark Gran formed a black orb above his palm. "The Gran legacy. Each of us wielding great powers in changing the fates of our worlds. That is something that transcends even realities." A closed fist turned his palm ablaze.

"I'm going to take that to right what has been wronged. You are but the first of course."

"Mine had already lost mind you but that doesn't mean it would remain defeated." "If one Gran isn't enough, all I need is to find more and wield theirs."

Gran yelled. "That's insane. You'll doom the other worlds just for the sake of your detestable goal."

"For the sake of my world, I sacrificed everything. My crew, my ship. My soul." The twisted eyes and smile sent chills down his spine. "So, will you please die for me?"

"We'll put a stop to you all the same." Rackam raised his gun.

"Try me." Dark Gran smiled. And Gran saw it.

Death. Staring into his eyes was akin to seeing his own death. His heart feeling the invisible squeeze of the Reaper. That grim feeling that if he looked long enough, he would actually die.

His body were frozen cold. Shivers crawling along his skin. Hands shaking, refusing to budge against the immense sensation. What kind of monster had he become?

Gran did what needed to be done. "SOUL SYNC!" Memories flashed before him. Heat leaked out from his skin and breath. The huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Silver pristine armour protected his being. Strength filled his veins. Enough to move and fight.

"Ah, I see that you've developed a unique path. Interesting to steal the abilities from ourselves." Dark Gran said before raising his scythe. "Let's see how it performs against me!"

Dark Gran vanished. A blur. Where- Above! Gran raised his shield. Shield arm burned in pain from the blow. He stepped back, turning the shield around to follow the barely visible opponent. Pain flared with each strike against the shield. It took all instinct to keep up.

"It won't be enough. Granted our peers are strong but I am by far the strongest. Including the help of a primal beast that controls fate and time, it's inevitable."

"Rose Eternal!" Root sprung up from the ground, attempting to bind the man in place. Gran swung the saber towards the chest before it was blocked short. A smug before the vines burned off his skin.

"Oh Rosie, if you wanted to tie me up, all you had to do is ask." Another blur.

A sting of unease. Gran turned around to see Dark Gran standing next to Rosetta. Twenty paces away, how the heck he got there so fast?

Dark Gran swung. Katalina intercepted the blow. Dark Gran used his free hand to throw a metal cracking blow into her stomach. She flew before crashing into a rocky wall. "Katalina!"

Gran was running as Rosetta was struck by the backhand of the scythe. "Rosetta!" Two gunshots forced a block. A second's reprieve before Dark Gran flipped overhead and slammed hard into the ground.

"Rackam! Eugen!" They were sent flying to crash against the dust.

The Grim Reaper smugged. "Two birds, one stone." That left Io standing, frozen in the sheer animosity. "Three for the taking."

Dark Gran swung. Gran skidded into the blow. Pain flared before he steadied against the ground.

"Phalanx!"

Blue bloomed before the centre of the shield was struck. Sparks. _Cancelled? _A whisper behind his ears. "Nuh uh." Gran twisted, blocking the blow for his neck. That threw him off balance. He stabbed the saber onto the ground, avoiding a fall. Half second was enough to regain his footing before blocking the next wave of blows.

Pain, pain, pain. Burning like a pyre across his arms, spreading numbness across his body. Pressure mounting as Gran turned to hold back against the tirade of attacks. He had to strike back or else he'd be worn out. He lowered his shield to strike. To see the barrel of a gun.

"Bang."

Gran felt flight, hitting something soft before seeing the black sky. When had it changed?

"Io! Gran!" Lyria's voice as the world spun.

Gran hit the dirt, crying out in pain. The burning sensation had faded off, reeling deep into his skin. Strength. He needed more of it. The armour and shield were gone. Back to his original self. A sharp sensation on his head. Blood.

"Soul Sync!" New memories flashed. Nothing. Had he burned through all his energy already? Lyria was on her knees, out of breath.

Dark Gran stood, hefting the weapon over his shoulder. Walking around with shakes of the head. Shakes of pity. "Rosie, Rosie. I see your back hasn't acted up yet to meet your age." He walked in a circle around Lyria. "Katalina. Always keeping doubts of your power hidden within. Today, that feeling is correct."

Gran turned towards the rockface. Rosetta and Katalina were knocked out cold. "Rackam, dedicated to the crew until the end. Even in death."

He couldn't see the other two guys but he surmised the worst. Gran had to get up. Pain burned as his fingers dug into the ground. Spikes digging deep into his arms as he pushed. Back quaking from the weight. Elbows finding purchase along sand.

"Eugen, caring to your family. Pity we went our ways when I had to kill Apollonia." Dark Gran stopped in front of Lyria. Vyrn was glaring holes in return. A simple punch knocked the tiny dragon aside.

"Vryn oh vryn. You, were quite a tasty lizard."

Up! He had to get up!

"Innocent Io. To think that you'd be a wonderful woman in your later years. Sad that you wouldn't have the chance."

_Come on. Get up. _Knees pushing hard against the soil. Gran huffed, forcing himself against the burn. The fires that rooted into flesh.

"Oh, sweet Lily." Dark Gran cupped Lyria's cheek. To imagine he'd dare to do that!

"The best way to kill you Gran is to kill the weakest link." Dark Gran raised the Reaper. Despair squeezed his chest. "A joke of course. I can't kill such a sweet thing. You on the other hand, I have no qualms."

Gran pushed through, climbing onto his two feet. The world felt wobbly, taking immense effort to hold steady. Short breaths. Every bit of energy was vital.

"Oh, not done yet? I'd figure you're about to kick the bucket. Or maybe you'll die standing. I'd like to see that happen."

A casting glance towards his sword. It was burnt, worn and in dire need of repairs. He raised it towards the sky.

_If one wouldn't work._

Gran felt his voice just a whisper.

"Hear my voice. Answer my call."

Dark Gran chortled before pressing the scythe onto the ground and leaned against it. "Oh Gran, I wager you are out of steam. I'll wait though to see if that would actually kill you. That'd be a treat."

"Gaze into our hearts."

"Bring unity and fortitude upon our souls."

_Then let all of us fight him as one._

"For we are righteous and shall protect everyone."

Gran stabbed the sword into the ground. "SOUL SYNC!"

* * *

Author's Notes: Thank you for reading Within your Soul. Beginning of the end. A battle where they struggle to survive. Bringing up towards the finale, the one moment we're waiting for. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: Thank you for reading Within your Soul. Beginning of the end. A battle where they struggle to survive. Bringing up towards the finale, the one moment we’re waiting for. ;)


	8. Granblue Fantasy: For the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle of multiple worlds rests in their hands. One of their own and so they have to right what has been wronged.

_ **Granblue Fantasy: For the Future** _

* * *

The world turned blue. Gran felt the burn intensifying. Blue flames passing through the sword into his arms and through his back. He could imagine the blue fires sprouting behind his back. Magic energy coursing through, far beyond what he'd ever used. Fortune be it without pain. Or maybe he'd numbed out from having too much.

Gran dropped to a knee as the flames died out. Breathing was exhausting. Air was so precious, made more so by such fatigue. Black edging his vision, reaching out to envelope him into darkness.

A hand on his shoulder held him steady. Soft assuring squeeze. "I'll be damned to think that I've been brought in like this." Gran craned over his shoulder.

Doctor. The man was scrutinising their polar opposite. "So, you're the troublemaker," Doctor said, reaching into his pocket. Something small before he got…jabbed by it. It stung before the sting vanished as fast as it struck.

Sage hopped atop a stepping stone. "Bravo good chap. I mean, to travel across another world would make an excellent field trip. Though please do inform in advance for today's croquettes were great this time round." Gran heard metal thump onto the ground. Bliss coursed through his body. Exhaustion eased. The pain replaced with strength. "On your feet now. Wouldn't want you all to miss the show."

Gran stood up. The Gran team had been assembled. Nine of them in variety of gear. Some were missing. They'd do.

Kengo placed a hand against his scabbard. "One of us has been corrupted. I have not foreseen such danger. Quite disturbing, Gozaru."

"It matters not for we will return honour to the halls of Valhalla." Holy Saber thumped his shield on the ground.

Dark Gran laughed. Barking laughter that wouldn't want to stop. "Wow, wow, oh wow oh wow. You've outdone yourself right there. Outsourcing all the problem to multiple selves." Death burst over his shoulders. A spiritual being wielding another scythe. "All of you do not matter. Once Akasha completes the ritual, all of you will be erased together."

A warm glow behind him, dampening the lethal intent. Sage cheeked in and pointed his spear. "Now that wouldn't be rather fair for all of us isn't it? I'd like to make a complaint, onto your face."

"Try us." Glorybringer opened his palm and a blade appeared. "Awaken my blade." Sword of Renunciation shined in response.

"Quite a challenge, Gozaru." Kengo flicked a portion of his blade free.

"Ha ha ha, this is funny. Ridiculous to the core." Dark Gran raised the scythe. "But that's what makes it so much fun."

"Ora!" Berserker dived from above. The massive brown axe slammed into the ground, spreading rock into the wind. Gran couldn't see through the dust cloud but the battles of metal rang through in multiple throes.

Sage asked. "Soldier, cover me while I get to work would yeah?"

"Sure." Soldier dropped to a knee, raising the thick heavy looking gun against his hips. The gun roared, sending constant stream of bullets. Faster than Gran ever saw before. Accurate enough to avoid hitting his compatriot while pressuring the enemy. The Reaper spun, drawing the projectiles away from both combatants.

"Come on! Is that what you got?" Berserker traded blows, axe to scythe. Hard hitting blows that rocked ground with each hit. Several more before Dark Gran forced him back with a large swing. "I'd like you if you weren't an ass to begin with!"

Gran watched as Asparas, Chrysaur, Holy Saber, Kengo and Glorybringer dived into the fray. Asparas, making precise strikes with the length of his spear. Multiple rapid stabs, spinning it around to weave confusion. Robes fluttering in the smooth movements that remained difficult to predict.

Holy Saber, taking the main bulk of the attention. Blocking before countering with attacks that force his opponent to back away. Enough to break the momentum. Heavy blows deflected aside than head on.

Glorybringer took lead of the attack. Long powerful swings, combining efforts with Chrysaur that sliced with shorter twin blades.

Kengo, dashing and making intermittent but strong blows to force an advantage or capitalize upon them.

Six people fighting in unison. Their movements so fluid. Such coordination akin to a dance across the stage. Gran was speechless on how to join the fray.

"Wow, it's really true. So many versions of you, Gran." Io stood onto her feet, clutching her staff.

Sage lowered down to her height with a grin. "Hey there Io. I didn't remember you were this small to begin with." That prompted a tirade of insults from the girl as Katalina and the others climbed to their feet.

"Wow, so many of them fighting together but that monster's still holding them back." Rackam clicked his tongue. Gran had to agree.

If the others were a tempest then Dark Gran was lightning. Darting in between persons, dodging and parrying those he couldn't with multiple edges of his weapon. Using the environment, the bodies and obstacles as every tool within his kit. The spiritual being over his shoulder blocked more of such attacks including the consistent bombardment of bullets from Soldier.

Until Glorybringer locked blades with the scythe. "Confidence will be your downfall." Chrysaur strove to strike from behind when it met the Reaper's metal.

Dark Gran grinned before leaping above and onto Chrysaur's shoulder before spinning overhead to land out of reach. "Not enough of an appetiser for you guys? Let's take it up a notch." Wings grew from the Grim Reaper's back. Four pairs of them.

Red.

Green.

Blue.

Brown.

"Eight wings." Kengo hissed.

Doctor swore from the sidelines, pointing his dagger at the insanity. "Freaking skies. He has power from the primarchs? What kind of nonsense are you fighting in your world man?"

Shrug. "More than you know." A barrage of bullets rained onto Dark Gran, repelled by the scythe. "Now then, time for the main course. Though I have to say, it's-" Dark Gran spun his scythe around his arms as the Reaper above strung four, no, sixteen different blades.

"Something Unpleasant."

"Phalanx!" Holy Saber raised his shield. The barrier formed and solidified as Darkness struck. Gran saw flashes of purple blasting against the shield, multiple slashes that he couldn't perceive. The blows stopped before the knight collapsed to a knee. "Gah! How did he break through?"

"Some things aren't meant to be blocked." Dark Gran twisted, the scythe catching the katana's edge from cleaving his neck.

"You talk too much," Kengo said.

"Let's put a stop to his loudmouth." Doctor dived in with a knife. Darting underneath the scythe and reaching to stab before the motion was blocked by an arm. Dark Gran smiled before pulling his head back to avoid the tip of the spear.

Dark Gran leapt to the air. The wings glowed as he floated with a smug. Gran felt grave danger as Holy Saber struggled to rise to his feet.

"Ains Sophr Aur!" Beams of light from the sky.

"Shield those against forces of evil!" Glorybringer swung, forging another barrier. Explosions rattled the area. Gran felt his feet wobble from the explosions. Light show of white, blue, red, green and black bombarding the area.

"Panacea!" Sage thumped his staff onto the ground, casting a surge of green across the ground. Gran felt more strength coming back to him.

Glorybringer dispelled the barrier before clutching his chest in pain. "The hell, even Sandalphon's…God damn you murderer."

"Pot calling the kettle black." Dark Gran retorted. Eight wings became twelve. Four extra white wings. The scythe became a blur blocking the rain of bullets coming at him. A step aside before dodging Chrysaur's rapid strikes and then bending over Kengo's fast draw.

Glorybringer joined the fray, their blades becoming blurs through the motions of combat. Sparks flew as the noise continued to grow into a thunderstorm.

Gran was perplexed. Would his crew notice the commotion? Extra hands would be great.

Sage casted another magic spell, fortifying the area around them. "Come on Warlock, the biggest bang we got!"

"I know Sage, give me one damn moment." Warlock hissed before resuming his incantation.

Dark Gran continued to uphold against the battle with Glorybringer. Berserker swung from the side. Asparas and Doctor dived from above. Kengo and Chrysaur from the flanks. A blur before Dark Gran emerged above them with the scythe glowing in purple.

"Watch it!"

Dark Gran spun; both ends of the scythe bursting with black energies. Glorybringer and Chrysaur backed off before being thrown back by the blast. Kengo drew his blade, slicing through the energy to cross past him. Asparas spun, catching the energies with fire magic at the tip of the spear. Berserker was thrown into a cliff, unconscious.

Gran bit his lip. Despite the numbers, they weren't winning. He turned to Lyria. "Check on the others. I'll be back." He ran forward towards the battle.

"Still cocky about it?" Dark Gran jested.

Glorybringer said nothing, his eyes laser focused on matching blade to blade. Laboured breaths between the various warriors, winded from constant attrition of stamina.

"Shoot!" Chrysaur's left blade was struck out of his grip. He blocked with his other before being slammed away into the ground. Dark Gran leapt into the air before a line of bullets stopped the dive.

Gran caught up to the group. Glorybringer gave a quick glance before returning his attention forward. "It's going to take all of us to hold him back. We'll do what needs to be done. Be ready for it."

Soldier cocked a red-looking bomb underneath his gun. "Catch a load of this!" A soft thump before a burst of flames creeping forward.

"You're not the only one with Phalanx." Dark Gran's scythe vanished. Replaced by a katana with long black wings. "Awaken and feed upon my hatred. Repel those that we hate and strike back with our rage." Black shield blossomed from the blade, taking the blow head on.

Red circle formed below Dark Gran. Sparks alight as Warlock pointed the staff. "Explosion!" Earth erupted. Wind and sand scattered with a loud boom, ringing in their ears. The smoke cloud vanished with a sharp slash of metal. Their nemesis was standing upright, barely a scratch on his cheek.

Glorybringer took a deep breath, tightening the grip on his sword. Gran could feel apprehension from the weapon. They're just holding him back. Their combined strength wasn't enough to defeat him. _A little bit more. _Just an edge would be enough to turn the tide.

A squeeze in his chest. He turned around to see Lyria's determination. She raised her hands and nodded. "I believe you can do it Gran!"

Sage raised his staff, casting another wave of bliss. Glorybringer nodded, moving forward to lock blades for precious seconds. "Go."

It struck upon him._ Since there are countless possibilities…_

Gran leapt to action. Drawing upon his blade once more. Pressing his two hands around the blade and stabbed into the ground.

_Then there's someone out there that can beat him._

"Soul Sync!" The world turned black.

* * *

Darkness. Not a speck of light within the vast abyss. Weightlessness and his movements felt clumsy. Gran took a breath. Despite the situation, he had no fear. For this was the place to be.

_Who are you?_

The voice was clear as day. A bit fuzzy, unrecognisable. Where did it come from? Not from the abyss, that was certain. It was directly inside his head.

"I'm Gran. Who are you?" His voice echoed multiple times in the abyss, each repetition growing softer.

_Someone that shouldn't be here yet am. Why are you here? Why do you seek for the power beyond your means and time?_

Gran knew the answer. "To do what's right. To protect my friends. And eventually, find my father."

_Common motives. Nothing grand of schemes. Why should you be granted dangerous power? For absolute power corrupts. You've seen a strong example._

"Because otherwise, everything good will be destroyed. I can't have that."

_Good and evil is relative. What speaks for you to decide what is which?_

"I know what I'm doing is right for what I do bring smiles to the people that deserve it. That is why I do so."

_Interesting. Such confidence bristled by youth. Yet, sometimes the simplest answers are the best. If you believe you can change the world then reach out for it and grasp it, Singularity._

_Gran smiled. _He closed his eyes. Listening. Little drops of water plunging into an invisible ocean. A single hand reached out into the realm. Closing his fist shut, drawing it into himself. Combining all their memories. Their experiences. Their emotions. Their united goal. Countless weapons wielded. Skills refined across decades. Magic and science combined. Past, Present, Future. Love for the crew, friends and more. _Lyria. _"So, this is who you are."

_Quite; little squirt. Now give him on my part a big ass whooping._

The world returned. Glass beneath his feet, revealing glowing blue hair. Armour paddings forged by the Eternals. So much power held inside him, eager to break free from the cage. Gran felt the transformation complete. He rose from the kneel to meet his dark self eye to eye. A wave of death blanketed over him but a squeeze of the fist blasted it aside in a gust of air.

"Ha, hahaha! To imagine I'd see someone grow so fast. Truly we are fit to be called Singularity." Dark Gran gestured for Gran to attack. "Show me the greater heights you've reached."

Gran took a step and released. Soil quaked, gusts of wind bursting into sonic thunders. He drew his sword. A nod to the others. They knew what to do. All struck in unison. From multiple angles with tenfold of ways. Burst of purple before Dark Gran became a blur. Blocking and dodging through, countering with black bullets made of deathly feathers.

"Phalanx!"

"Awaken!"

Two shields crisscrossed and intertwined into one. The bullets spun, twisting over the shield to dive from above. Shrill screams before being shot out of the sky by red tracers of light.

"Bring on the Dakka!" Soldier blasted away before Warlock spun and slammed his staff into the ground.

"Aether Blast!" Ball of white formed before blasting an explosion of rainbow colours. Doctor lunged towards the two defenders, jabbing them with syringes before Sage casted another Panacea.

Warcries from Glorybringer and Holy Saber as the barrier solidified. Gran called for it as the barrier dissipated. Hollowsky Bow. Posture, raise, aim. Draw the arrow. Enchant. Fire.

Rumble as the arrow broke through sound and black rain. Gran clicked his tongue. Only a graze to the side. The dark rain stopped, its remnants twisting to attack from two sides.

Soldier and Warlock had it covered. One managed to break through the defense. A single cut would be enough to kill him. Though he wasn't worried.

Bang. Broken by a single bullet. For friends are watching his back.

"Don't forget about us!" Katalina drew her sword.

"I want to give that man a slap for saying such things!" Io raised her staff.

Eugen raised his rifle. "Likewise, I have a score to settle. One beyond worlds."

"Ha…hahahahaha!" Dark Gran broke into a fit. "Such unity. If you're so keen to beat me." Death burst free from Dark Gran. A shadow of the Grim Reaper hovering above his shoulder. The aura was immense. "Bring it." He blurred into shadow.

Gran shot forward, summoning a pair of gauntlets. Just in time to parry a blow meant for Holy Saber's neck. He redirected the blow into the ground before pushing forward into melee. Furious strikes into the gut before being pushed back by a slash for his neck.

His fingers were attuned to the tetra, drawing power from the elements.

Fire, Fire. Fortifying the gauntlets.

Earth, Earth. Turn his movements fast as lightning.

Two slashes for his neck before deflecting and spin kicking the arm above. Close in.

Water, Earth. Power that one blow meant for the face! Dark Gran staggered back before Gran threw rapid blows, six elements forming into one focal point. Gran leapt back to avoid the Reaper's counter. "Dragon Break." Explosion that slammed Dark Gran into a wall.

Gran took deep breaths. That ate a considerable amount of energy. "Oh, that hurt." Dark Gran pulled himself out of the man-made hole in the rock face. "Fancy as things go, you're running out of time."

Gran didn't answer him. "Warlock, go big."

Multiple copies of Dark Gran appeared. _Mirror Image. _A step back before pushing into a leapt. Eugen and Rackam stood side to side with Soldier, blasting away. Io and Rosetta casted their attacks. Root sprung from below. Icicles struck from above. Frost swords aimed for the neck.

The images vanished but they served their purpose. Giving enough time for Dark Gran to strike. Gran crossed his arms and blocked the blow from his face. Smoke burst from the ground. Gran shielded his eyes and felt pain drilling down his throat.

"Dispel!" The smoke vanished.

"Peace of mind!" The pain faded. Gran stepped back before another slash came from the side.

Clang. Glass shield barrier shattered but it absorbed most of the impact. Gran went along with the blow, rolling across the ground. It hurt but nothing worse for wear.

"Panacea!" Sage casted a third time. Gran felt his wounds heal. However, by then, more mirror images formed around the alter. The number of techniques this man can wield is plentiful. Deceitful and cunning, just as certain other forms of Gran wielded their weapons.

He stretched his hand and called. The shaft fitted into his grip. The axe wielded by a particular cake loving Draph. He raised the weighty weapon and pushed power through it. If he couldn't find out which one's the real copy… He swung. Then he'll just hit all of them!

Wind burst as the weapon transformed. Sword mode. Gran followed the slash, turning it into a full spin before twisting the momentum into a lunging stab. Dark Gran blocked the blow, pushed back across the sand. Gran persisted, slamming the behemoth weapon time and time again.

Dark Gran parried before deflecting aside the weapon into the ground. Gran leapt, pulling at the sword before swinging down.

"Ground Zero."

Cloud of sand burst from the ground. Dark Gran strained against the blow, his feet digging deeper into soil. With a cry, he pushed Gran to fly back.

Gran landed as the weapon reverted to Axe form. Hard hitting attacks weren't making the cut. Then he'll have to change the approach. He called for the Excalibur and charged. Their blades struck again in a dance of flash and sparks. Red and black flames echoed their movements.

Gran upped the ante. Taking a swing before letting go and a longsword took its place. Changing weapons in a constant melody of battle. From a single blade to twin blades. Katana to spear before rune magic. Pushing forward in a constant bid for momentum. Gran rotated through countless weapons, wielding a compilation of blows that changed at the whim of thought.

Ducking under a counterattack, Gran backflipped and leapt into the air. The world turned upside down as he countered with a bow. New weapons forming midair before shot as projectiles, courtesy of Siete's teaching.

Dark Gran blocked everything to par, dealing with the attacks with speed and precision. The arrow he slashed into half though exploded, staggering him.

"Now!"

"Piercing Punishment!" Bullet shot over Gran's shoulder, striking metal before exploding.

"Die Antikenkanone!" Second shot to further blast Dark Gran off step.

"Sullen Rose!" Roots stopped his movements, roses blooming and throwing poisonous spores.

"Blade of Frost!" Ice struck several times into Dark Gran before shattering.

"Elemental Gust!" Io's tornado turned the ice fragments into a storm of blades.

"I summon upon your name…" The Primeval Dragon flared its wings and roared. "Bahamut!" A powerful beam surged across the ground into roaring ball of fire.

Gran landed, skidding across the ground. He raised a hand, a blue outline forging into reality. He aimed as the Flamma Orbis revved to life. Sparks glowing along the barrel as power of the sun coarsed through. He pulled the trigger and sent the tiny orb into the inferno.

"PROMINATION FLARE!" Red explosion. Ground shook. Sand turned glass. Rockfaces crumbled and collapsed.

Dark Gran flew before crashing into glass. Screech and shatter ripped and tear. Part of his clothes were singed from burns. Yet, Dark Gran lifted his head with a shake of the head. "That, that was quite a good there." He climbed to his feet, looking worse for wear. "My turn."

"Not so fast!" Magic circle formed below Dark Gran before another explosion. "Go to Hell already."

Dark Gran's phalanx barrier cracked before dissipating. "That was close. You know, I'd hate to lose the shirt. Hard to get good replacements." Demons appeared over his shoulder. Satan, Avatar and few other beings with angelic wings. That lorded by the Grim Reaper.

Katalina stepped to Gran's side. "We'll deal with those." Io had already prepared a bunch of ice spikes, waiting to be unleashed.

"Thanks, Katalina." Glorybringer said, drawing his blade. "Soldier, Warlock, Doc, back them up. The rest of us on him."

Dark Gran now wielded a second weapon. The True Phantom Demon Blade. With a flick, the world flashed and changed. Onto a single platform of soil and stone. Skies bordering the edges with space just enough for battle. Avatar reached out, trying to draw its doomsday before being struck by Rackam and Eugen. The other primals charged as Soldier and Warlock combined their arms into an explosive helix of flames.

Gran's group charged to their own target. Dark Gran swung, the scythe extending its reach with poisonous miasma. Holy Saber parried, letting the others charge through. Dark Gran took to the skies before the flick of a katana forced him down. Chrysaur leapt, spinning to cleave away two pairs of wings.

Gran spun his sword before attacking. Dodging, weaving through battle. Blood pumping in a constant ballet. Metal sparked; actions gauged in tiniest of moments. How long was it had he been fighting? That it could feel both worrying and intoxicating simultaneously?

Gran felt the sands of time trickling, nearing depletion. They knew. Bound as one. United in blade, arts, and soul. He switched for the True Infernal Flamescythe before slamming Dark Gran's scythe into the ground. Clang, Chrysaur held the scythe in place. Asparas, locking it with the spear. Kengo and Glorybringer on the sword. Leaving an opening, small as coin. Stepping forward, axe released. Ultima dagger drawn.

And ramming it clean through the heart, bursting a gust of fire through the back.

Dark Gran's face refused to budge despite the leaking blood from his lips. "So, it seems I've lost."

"Yeah." Gran twisted the blade before pulling it free. Blood leaked as magic tried to ineffectually heal the wound. Gran felt the transition fade, taking the enthusiasm from his body.

Dark Gran let go of his weapons, staggering backwards. "The bad guy never wins. At least it was supposed to be." He raised his bloody hand. "Now, it's proven. How far have I fallen?"

The others kept on guard as Gran gave his thoughts. "I don't know. Just that I do know that what you've done isn't right."

A smile. "I see." Dark Gran fell. "Has it been so long now?" His body toppling over the side, vanishing in a cloud of glowing white feathers. That was the last moment he was seen.

Gran clutched his hand as Glorybringer joined alongside him, watching the feathers vanish piecemeal. "It's over."

"Yeah, I guess it is."

* * *

Gran woke. Seeing the confines of the room. Soft sooths of the wind. Grandcypher's mast fluttering against a gust. He's alive and well. Dressing up, he felt a loud groan from below. A hungry morning it was.

The corridors were quiet towards the galley. The galley itself was hardly occupied with Krugne and Feather at the far end having a game of dice. The rest of the crew were probably busy with their work. Gran grabbed himself a quick meal from the kitchen with many thanks to Elmelaura for keeping his portion and Rosine for the extra crackers.

Settling down onto the table, he was uninterrupted for most of his meal. Until he heard a voice over his shoulder. "Are you feeling better Gran?"

He looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Yeah Phoebe. Feeling much better."

The small girl smiled. "I'm glad that everything turned out alright. The other pathways have closed."

_That meant well for Doctor then._ "Thanks for telling me." Phoebe beamed in response before Morphe joined with a teapot.

"Good morning Captain. Here's some tea to kickstart your day." Gran nodded with thanks, taking a sip of delicious fragrance. "Phoebe is right that there's no way to get back to the Silver Sanctum but that wasn't the only thing she was looking at. After that-" Morphe's words were cut off by a frantic Phoebe.

"Sorry, got to go. Eh heh, things to do." She dragged Morphe away fast as wind. Gran could only blink in response before they disappeared. He shrugs, back to his meal it is. The tea was a great addition though his meal remains unperturbed.

"Kekeke, you've awakened. That was an amusing moment to spectate." Yodarha thumped over the top of the tables towards him.

Gran grinned back. "I guess though one shouldn't be prying into other's affairs."

Yodarha huffed a small laugh. "Well met. Though not by choice. Regardless, it is good to see you in good shape and that things have returned to the way it should be."

"Yeah. There's a lot to think about."

"Kekeke, time is all you need. And time to think I shall bid to you." The Harvin hopped off the table and headed for the door. Gran took the moment to finish his meal.

Afterwards, he climbed towards the top of the deck. There were no plans scheduled for today, just a lazing cruise back towards civilization. He felt the wind greeting him upon stepping atop the upper decks. Bright blue sky. Gran took a deep breath and enjoyed the breeze. The sky delivers in times where one needs peace.

He whispered. "Soul sync." Silence. Nothing. It was gone for good. Perhaps for the best. The most important part was seeing the infinite possibilities. Each with branching histories and rich experiences. All of them were real and right. There wasn't just one path that he had to follow to reach the end.

It has been a day since the encounter with his alternate selves. That time had been the hardest which its resolution brought major relief. Handling Dark Akasha was piecemeal comparison to its owner. Without the dark alter, the platform vanished and returned them to the same island. The windstorms and thunderclouds had calmed.

Lyria stood up and spread her arms wide. The primal beast glowed before vanishing. Gran could feel something from the primal beast. Maybe, gratitude? He couldn't tell.

"There you go." Sage's voice caught his attention. The healing spell rejuvenated his senses as the sage poked at the unconscious comrade. "Come on Serker, wakey wakey."

"Many thanks, Gozaru." Kengo said with eyes closed in meditation. For a samurai, despite the calmness in his voice, Gran could feel the same in his own. A fatigue from constant battle beyond their own limits.

"So, Doc, what now?" Soldier asked in midst of rhythmic flicking the long knife from end to end.

Doc drunk himself a potion of green substance while dusting against the multiple burns on his coat. "Hmm, without Akasha's interference, everything should fix in place soon." Each of the Gran began to glow in blue. Their glow streaking towards the sky. Doctor chuckled. "There we go. Time and reality are correcting itself now. Thank skies that all this is done and over with."

"Well, it's been nice knowing you guys." Sage cheeked a grin. Doctor laughed before shaking his dust matted head.

"I'll miss swearing at your sorry ass."

Holy Saber thumped his chest. "Hah, I would love to battle together with you guys when there is a chance."

"Indeed. Even with all the trouble in the midst, it's been a heck of a trip." Glorybringer said.

"Until time needs us again." Doctor nodded before vanishing.

"Bye bye." Sage waved before disappearing into the light. The rest gave smile, nods or waves as their moment came in turn.

Then they were gone. It was a bit of a shame that it had to end though it begets him to think. What were they doing at this moment? Each of them had grown in different ways. Change in mannerisms, ideals and approaches. Still united in a single goal.

"Good morning Gran." His train of thoughts were shattered by the melodic voice. He turned around to see a beautiful smile. One of the reasons he fought so hard. Losing his life once, and continuing on in spite against death.

He returned the smile. "Good morning Lyria. How are you feeling?"

"Much better today. Baotarda made excellent pancakes today. Are you feeling better?"

"Much better." Gran flexed his arm. "I hope you had enough for dinner. It was a lot you had there." He chuckled at Lyria's pout.

Katalina groaned. "I'm having nightmares from yesterday. I've seen more than I could ever imagine."

"That just means nobody should mess with us." Vryn mimed some punching moves from Soriz.

Gran chuckled. "Seeing some of these memories before, I can be certain. We haven't seen everything yet. Who knows we might see Katalina's twin from another universe?"

"I won't be surprised." Katalina sighed. Lyria giggled in response.

Rackam said from the ship's wheel. "So, Captain, where are we heading?"

Gran smiled. "Set a course for Amalthea Island. We've gone around long enough. It's time to get back on track."

"Right one Captain. Setting course for Amalthea." Rackam spun the shipwheel. Grandcypher obliged, moving through calm winds towards their next destination.

Gran shielded his eyes from the sun's glare. From here on,

Finding Estalucia island. Meeting his Dad and giving him a word of his mind. Even if it may take years, he wouldn't relent. After all, he is Gran. With a crew worth fighting with and for. Each of them had their reasons to go together. They will face new challenges. More problems and dangers to encounter. Relentless in the face of time to help those in need.

"This is our journey."

* * *

_~Fin~_

* * *

Author's Notes: Thank you for reading Within your Soul.

Cues raid…

30 minutes later

Nobody joins

Solos raid to 50%

Full house afterwards

Welp, gg well played.

Moving on, it's been an interesting project as a whole. More set of constraints and interests to handle. So many people to work on within just one scene I don't know what better way to mix things up. Though I feel as a whole that the plot is still lacking something to make the finishing touch but I just can't grasp at it. I hope you enjoy this story and have a good day. Whether again this will be the last fanfic I write, I don't know but I'll let Fate decide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: Thank you for reading Within your Soul. 
> 
> Cues raid…  
30 minutes later  
Nobody joins  
Solos raid to 50%  
Full house afterwards  
Welp, gg well played.
> 
> Moving on, it’s been an interesting project as a whole. More set of constraints and interests to handle. So many people to work on within just one scene I don’t know what better way to mix things up. Though I feel as a whole that the plot is still lacking something to make the finishing touch but I just can’t grasp at it. I hope you enjoy this story and have a good day. Whether again this will be the last fanfic I write, I don’t know but I’ll let Fate decide.

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Notes: First and foremost, thanks for reading Within your Soul. This is a side story grade kind of material for Granblue Fantasy. Something I came up with when I was messing around with the premise of how the ingame raid system works. Fooling around kind of thing maybe? I don’t know and given the size and scale of the characters and lore in this setup, there’s a lot to play with and hopefully as a whole I manage to deliver at leasts something worth a read. I hope you enjoy this story and have a good day.


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